PEORIA, Ill. — Peoria County is benefiting from an Ameren upgrade.
Ameren Illinois is currently modernizing its natural gas system delivery that runs through Peoria County.
Ameren’s Brian Bretsch said the $21 million project, which started in May, is upgrading a 3.2-mile stretch of the natural gas pipeline south of Bartonville.
“That is a 24-inch steel pipeline that’s been in the ground for about 60 years,” Bretsch said.
“Every year, we take a look at our plans to modernize our natural gas systems and it was determined in 2019 this section was definitely scheduled to be replaced, so we got about 150 contractors who have been working since late May to slowly replace this steel pipeline with a new pipeline.”
Bretsch explained the science behind it.
“We’re going from pipeline of the same quality in the 1960s, but with a different method now. What we call continuous line, where all the seams are put together through a special welding project,” he explained.
Construction on the line, expected to be completed by mid-October, will strengthen the integrity and reliability of the local system, Bretsch said.
“The hope and plan is this particular pipeline will last another 60-to-80 years, and won’t need to be replaced until then,” he added.
Ameren Illinois is currently performing pressure tests on its 24-inch pipeline from University Avenue Station in Peoria to its Bartonville Station.
Tests on three sections of the 8.6-mile line are being tested.
The tests are are expected to be completed by early October.
