Gainesville Regional Utilities announced on Tuesday that it will conduct a routine gas line pressure test this weekend that will cause road closures along Southwest Archer Road and parts of the University of Florida campus.
GRU’s Natural Gas Department will collaborate with Duke Energy on Saturday and Sunday to conduct the safe and controlled test.
“This test is a routine maintenance procedure required by the Public Service Commission and is conducted every six years to ensure the integrity of the natural gas infrastructure,” a GRU news release said.
On Saturday at about 7 a.m., a natural gas burn-off will start in which two flare stacks will be used to reduce odor and start the pipeline for testing. By Sunday morning, road closures and detours will be in effect from 2 to 7 a.m.
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Archer Road will be closed between Southwest 16th Street to Southwest 16th Avenue while Mowry Road will be closed between Gale Lemerand Drive and Center Drive.
GRU said residents will experience limited access to UF Health’s west parking garage, the Davis Cancer Pavilion Medical Plaza east parking lot, and the north drive behind the Davis Cancer Center.
The UF and Gainesville police departments will work together to conduct the road closures and detour traffic.
By 5 am, the nitrogen blow-off will produce a loud noise, which GRU describes in the release as being “similar to a jet engine,” for 45 minutes to an hour. In addition, GRU said a “rotten egg-like odor may be present” due to the release of natural gas.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: GRU: Routine gas line test will cause road closures, loud noise, possible odor this weekend
Reporting by Elliot Tritto, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
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