Welcome To The City Of Orange Cones

As I reported on recently, National Grid is preparing to replace their gas lines on and near Green Street, a continuation of the work they have been inching along with on the 200 block of State Street for several weeks.  How big is the job going to be?  It's difficult to say, because there has been no mention by the DPW or City Hall about anything, even the work on State Street.  But if the number of pipes that I noticed yesterday in the vacant lot on Washington Street is any indication, the project is going to be extensive.

The vacant lot at Washington and 7th, as of yesterday, appears to be the staging ground for National Grid's equipment and supplies for the project (more was arriving today).  The city likely gave National Grid and their contractors permission to use the lot. 

8-inch pipes on the right, 4- and 6-inch pipes on the left

The long pipes you see in the picture are the same type that National Grid used on State Street.  I was told that these plastic pipes were replacing old metal gas pipes.  They appear to all be exactly 40 feet long.  There were:

81 8-inch pipes

65 6-inch pipes

40 4-inch pipes

186 pipes at 40 feet each is 7,440 feet of pipes.  There are 5,280 feet in a mile.

Green Street, from State to Mckinstry, was repaved 20 months ago.

Here are some pictures taken today on State Street showing the results of National Grid's gas line replacement project which began at least 6 weeks ago.  The cones along and in the sidewalk first appeared in the street to prevent anyone from parking on the street, but now they serve no purpose.  The rut that runs the entire length of the block where pipes were installed is a danger to bicyclists and a general ugly annoyance that has been ignored for too long.  There was not one person working there this morning at 10:00.  One wonders if anyone from City Hall (Robert Perry, Kamal Johnson) has spoken with anyone at National Grid about their work on State Street that is taking forever and asked them when it will be completed.  When will the cones be removed?  When will the rut in the street be filled in?  What is taking so long?  Will the work on Gren Street be just as slow?  Why is no one working there on certain days?