VILLAS — South Jersey Gas (SJG) held a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday March 12 at the county airport on Breakwater Road where construction work began to extend a natural gas main into Villas.
Lower Township officials including Deputy Mayor Kevin Lare, Councilmen Tom Conrad and Glenn Douglass picked up silver shovels and broke ground along with SJG Senior Vice President of Operations and Sales Jeff DuBois, Sales Manager Todd Gordon, Project Manager Paul Zuccarino and County Freeholder Ralph Thornton.
Dubois said South Jersey gas was aware Villas residents had waited a long for natural gas and thanked them for their patience. He said system improvements made it possible for the expansion.
“We think its not only going to help the residents to lower their costs but also to businesses and with the economy the way it is it, everything you can do to lower costs is a great thing,” he said.
Thornton called natural gas “a great buy.”
A few hundred feet away, a work crew was installing yellow, flexible pipe in the ground. The route of construction will run from just west of the county airport, up Breakwater to Fishing Creek Road and north on Bayshore Road.
For the extension project, SJG has contracted with J.F Kiely Construction of Swainton, to install what is referred to as the trunk line, the main feeder that will be installed underground. The approximate four mile long pipeline will end at Miami Avenue in Villas.
Plans call for about 22,000 feet of 8-inch plastic main to be used for this portion.
Residents can expect to see a number of blue and yellow trucks identified by the contractor’s name present in the area.
In addition, SJG inspectors, identified by white trucks with the SJG logo will be on site for quality control.
Following installation of the gas main, SJG will install additional mains and services in the area beginning with the neighborhoods that express the greatest interest in receiving natural gas service. Residents can pick up applications for gas service at the library, senior center or township hall on Bayshore Road.
SJG will hold an information session Saturday March 14 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Lower Township Hall. Information may be obtained by calling 1-877-458-9566.
