While it was initially anticipated that pipeline construction would be finished in 2020, “it now appears the the pipeline will be completed and operational in late 2019, possibly as early as sometime in November,” Semco Energy Gas Co. spokesman Tim Lubbers said.

The pipeline project, at an estimated cost of $135-140 million, was pursued to add reliability, redundancy and capacity to the natural gas system in the area, according to Semco.

It will connect the Northern Natural Gas Transmission system that currently serves the northwestern Upper Peninsula to the Great Lakes Gas Transmission pipeline, which runs across the southern U.P. It’s important to provide this connection, as a single failure in the Northern Natural Gas Pipeline “could result in long-lasting outages for tens of thousands of customers throughout the U.P.,” project information states.

“Semco has approximately 35,000 customers served solely off that Northern Natural Gas pipeline. Our new line will provide redundancy and serve as a backup supply if there is a service disruption on Northern Natural Gas,” Lubbers said. “But in addition to reliability and redundancy, Northern Natural Gas’s line right now has no excess capacity or ability to transport gas on a firm basis. So as the region grows, it has became more difficult to provide a firm supply of natural gas to access. And when the Marquette Connector Pipeline comes online, it will be able to fuel the area’s growth for the foreseeable future.”

M-553 is pictured. (Journal photo by Cecilia Brown)

The project is expected to bring in an average combined total of $2.5 million annually for five years in tax revenue for local municipalities, Lubbers said.

The 42-mile pipeline is in two segments. The main section of the pipeline spans 36 miles from Negaunee Township to Arnold, primarily running in areas near County Road, M-553, M-35 and County Road 480. This portion connects the Northern Natural Gas Pipeline to the Great Lakes Pipeline in Negaunee Township. The other section is around 6 miles of pipe running from Negaunee Township directly into the Marquette area.

While major aspects of pipeline construction in and around Marquette are “largely done,” there’s still work to be done in other areas, Lubbers said.

“Now the work is focusing on the larger pipeline that is running mainly between Gwinn and Arnold, Michigan,” he said, noting he expects work along County Road 480 near M-35 to continue for another few weeks.

The pipeline will be mostly underground, but interconnection stations will be built in Negaunee Township and Arnold and a regulator station will be constructed in the Marquette area along Division Street to regulate the Marquette Connector Pipeline’s contents to an appropriate pressure for the Marquette system, Lubbers said.

While the project is ahead of schedule, “there have been a number of construction challenges,” Lubbers said, adding “many of those challenges are typical to the construction of this type of project or work at this fairly northern latitude.”

One challenge was the late spring this season, which delayed the company’s ability to mobilize heavy equipment until early June due to seasonal road restrictions.

Furthermore, wet conditions required the installation of around 30,000 timber mats to reduce the environmental impact of heavy equipment in the work areas and allow equipment to move through effectively, Lubbers said.

Beyond weather-related challenges, crews also encountered a large rock formation that proved difficult to drill through, he said. Due to this, they gained approval from the Marquette County Board of Commissioners in June for an additional easement to reroute a section in county forest land.

Lubbers said the company also recognized “this project would impact the Noquemanon Trail Network trail system,” noting the company worked with the NTN to ensure their trails would be open for the summer’s major biking event.

“The NTN trailhead parking lot has been restored and we do not anticipate any further construction at that location,” he said. “We understand our presence at that particular recreation area has been disruptive and we appreciate the community’s patience.”

As the pipeline work is completed, Semco is working to re-vegetate the areas where digging and construction took place. During this process, it’s important to stay off the pipeline right-of-way as grass and plants grow back, especially in sloped areas, Lubbers said.

“Particularly motor vehicles along that right-of-way can create significant hurdles to the process of re-vegetation,” he said. “We are really just trying to get that area growing again to prevent erosion. Any help the public can give us by staying off that right-of-way would be helpful.”

Overall, Lubbers said the company appreciates the opportunity to work in the area and patience of area residents throughout the project.

“We have really benefited from the positive work environment in this community,” he said.

Cecilia Brown can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 248. Her email address is cbrown@miningjournal.net.