ORANGE, Ohio — Orange Village and Solon officials said they are temporarily halting part of the waterline replacement project until they can ensure no further gas leaks happen in the area.
For the second day in a row, a gas leak was reported on Miles Road in Orange Village.
“This morning I'm walking my dog, and I get another alert on my phone and I was like, 'Oh, this must be left over from yesterday.' Oh, no, another gas leak and another power outage,” said Cindy Bomeli, a homeowner in the area.
Officials said Thursday’s leak happened after construction crews encountered an underground gas line, but this is not the first leak connected to the project. The first happened July 15, when the city says a construction accident caused a gas leak. The other two incidents Wednesday and Thursday were also tied to construction, including an old abandoned service line.
“A little bit frustrated. Can't really understand why they keep digging when they keep hitting gas lines,” said Bomeli.
Each leak led to power outages, forcing people like Bomeli out of their homes and impacting businesses like the Village Diner, which closed Wednesday and opened late Thursday because of the leak.
“I understand they're doing construction, but they should have somebody out there taking their time on what they're doing,” Terry Robinson, kitchen manager at the Village Diner continued, “A little frustrated because it comes out of our pay.”
In a statement, Orange Village and the city of Solon officials said a construction crew hit a natural gas line Thursday while installing a new waterline on Miles Road. Emergency crews and Enbridge Gas responded to secure the area and make repairs.
Officials wrote that waterline work east of Brainard Road is now on hold until additional utility verification is completed. Enbridge will locate and mark all known gas lines in the area, while construction crews will use hand digging and other verification methods before excavation resumes to help prevent future incidents.
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You can find the full statement below:
"Orange Village and the City of Solon would like to provide residents and businesses with an update following today’s hit natural gas line on Miles Road and outline the additional safety measures that will be implemented before work resumes on the waterline replacement project.
Today’s incident occurred after a construction crew installing a new waterline encountered an underground gas line. The Orange Village Police Department, Solon Police Department, and Solon Fire Department responded immediately alongside Enbridge Gas and construction personnel to secure the scene, protect the public, and facilitate repairs.
As a result of today's incident, Terrace Construction will not resume waterline installation east of Brainard Road until additional utility verification has been completed. Construction activities will continue west of Brainard Road, where the new waterline has already been installed.
Enbridge Gas will conduct a comprehensive effort to locate and mark all known active and cut gas lines in the area east of Brainard Road. Once Enbridge completes its utility locating process, Terrace Construction will continue to perform operations to physically verify the location of underground utilities and confirm the accuracy of all utility markings through hand digging and positive verification.
Subsurface conditions can be difficult to identify. These enhanced verification measures will provide an additional layer of protection by helping crews verify the location of underground utilities before excavation begins. These additional precautions are intended to ensure the waterline replacement project proceeds as safely as possible while protecting construction workers, emergency responders, nearby residents, and the traveling public.
Orange Village and the City of Solon appreciates the patience and understanding of residents and businesses affected by today’s incident and the temporary traffic disruptions. Orange Village and the City of Solon remain committed to completing this important water infrastructure improvement project safely and will continue working closely with Terrace Construction, Enbridge Gas, and our public safety partners throughout the remainder of the project. Additional updates will be provided as work progresses," The statement read.
