Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

Consumers Energy on Monday announced it has completed its Mid-Michigan Pipeline, replacing and upgrading 55 miles of natural gas transmission pipeline in Clinton, Shiawassee, Ingham, Livingston and Washtenaw counties.

According to a press release, Mid-Michigan is the last in a series of major projects representing a nearly $1.5 billion investment to modernize the company’s natural gas system, ensuring the major arteries that keep natural gas flowing to homes and businesses are as safe and reliable as possible.

Consumers Energy finished work on the Mid-Michigan Pipeline in time for this winter heating season. The project replaced 20-inch pipeline dating to the 1940s with 36-inch pipeline that will carry large volumes of natural gas more safely and reliably.

“Our friends and neighbors count on us to safely and affordably heat their homes and businesses, and we take that responsibility seriously,” said David Hicks, the Consumers Energy vice president who oversaw the project. “The Mid-Michigan Pipeline and our other pipeline projects play a central role in Consumers Energy’s Natural Gas Delivery Plan to ensure we meet Michigan’s needs for decades to come.”

This spring, Consumers Energy released two dozen young turtles rescued from potential harm during the project’s construction. The company planted wildflower seeds along the pipeline’s route to attract birds, bees and other pollinators.

The Mid-Michigan Pipeline’s first phase, from Williamston to Ovid, was completed last year. This year, crews worked through Sleepy Hollow State Park to bring the project to completion, working carefully to protect natural resources and reduce the environmental footprint.

This decade, Consumers Energy also has completed the four-county Saginaw Trail Pipeline in 2020 and the South Oakland Macomb Network, which finished in 2022.