By Jon King / jking@whmi.com


The parking lot of a local ski resort is being used as a staging area for a long-term project to upgrade natural gas lines.

Consumers Energy began a 25-year project in 2012 called the Enhanced Infrastructure Replacement Program that is spending nearly $2 billion to replace 2,600 miles of natural gas pipelines. Beginning earlier this month, and continuing into July, utility crews are working in the City of Brighton and Genoa Township to put in more durable pipes for natural gas usage.

While that work is ongoing, Consumers Energy is staging all of their equipment in the parking lot at Mt. Brighton at Challis and Bauer roads. According to the utility’s website, the crews are using underground directional drilling in 90% of the pipe replacements rather than the more traditional open-trenching methods. Brighton city officials remind residents that they may see utility lines marked in their neighborhood or yard and utility workers in the area while the upgrades are taking place.

Similar line replacement is also taking place in other areas across Livingston County. A map from Consumers Energy is available by Clicking Here.