Work will take place at night so as to reduce traffic impacts, which include detours and traffic reduced to a single lane at locations in the westbound direction, between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. March into June, weather permitting. Photo courtesy of PG&E

OROVILLE, CA (MPG) - Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and its contract crews will conduct a safety inspection on a section of natural gas transmission pipe in Oroville.

This week, PG&E crews and contractors will begin work to prepare for the strength test by excavating at various points along the pipe, which runs under the westbound lanes of Oro Dam Boulevard East from Feather River to Lincoln boulevards.

Work will take place at night to reduce traffic impacts, which include detours and traffic reduced to a single lane at locations in the westbound direction, between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday nights to Friday mornings from March into June, weather permitting. There will sometimes be lighting at work sites and steel plates on the road.

About one mile of an 8-inch diameter natural gas pipeline will be tested in segments in April and May, with the project completed in June. PG&E has notified residential and business customers in the area. There will be no interruptions of natural gas service to customers.

This type of safety test requires PG&E to temporarily take the pipe out of service to fill it with water, which is then pressurized to three times the line’s maximum operating pressure (MAOP), an industry practice used to identify any anomalies in the pipeline that might need further examination or repair.

These tests are part of PG&E’s ongoing commitment to deliver safe, reliable natural gas service to customers and communities it serves.

If needed, crews will repair or replace parts of the pipeline before returning it to service.

This routine safety testing is mandated by the California Public Utilities Commission and will help enhance the safety and reliability of the area’s natural gas service. The strength test confirms the gas pipeline's integrity and operating pressure.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16-million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com.