City, Centerpoint straighten lines

Ryan Taylor, of Centerpoint Energy, works to move dirt out of East Main Street to fill the massive hole where the company repositioned a gas line. The mess in the 200 block of Main Street, which resulted in a six-foot-deep hole in the sidewalk, started last week when Centerpoint Energy discovered a gas line that passed directly through an underground pipe leading from a roof drain.

After the discovery, city officials were notified and Ramon Estrada, water department crew leader and his crew cleaned up the fragmented clay pipe and prepared a site where a Centerpoint crew could re-route a three-foot section of gas line.

The work performed by centerpoint involved two line cuts. Ninety-degree elbow connectors were placed to angle the line up approximately two feet. Two more connectors and a section of line were used to bridge the four-foot section.

Since Centerpoint finished repairs, the city water department may now commence with replacement of the broken drain section, which will run below the newley-elevated gas line.

At the close of business yesterday Estrada and his crew, along with Nate Dodd and Ryan Taylor, of centerpoint, had pushed most of the excavated dirt out of the street and set a temporary fence barricade around the construction site.

Estrada and the city water crew are prepared to complete repairs, including pipe replacement, dirt work and concrete repairs sometime before close of business today.