Charlottesville Utilities to replace gas line this summer as first phase of a West Main project

This summer, the Charlottesville Department of Utilities will begin a multiyear effort to replace water and natural gas lines University Avenue, West Main Street, and side streets.

“The project will replace more than 8,680 linear feet of aging cast-iron water mains with new ductile iron piping, greatly improving reliability and long-term sustainability,” reads an information release sent out today. “This area also includes over 13,660 linear feet of leak-prone cast-iron piping in the gas distribution system, which the project will replace with corrosion-resistant high-density polyethylene plastic pipe (HDPE).”

The first phase is expected to begin this summer with gas line replacement work only between Beta Bridge and Chancellor Street and is expected to last four and a half months. A kickoff meeting will take place sometime before and information can be found on a new section of the Connect Charlottesville website.

Funding for the gas line replacement comes from a $7.1 million grant from the federal government awarded in April 2024, as I reported at the time.

There’s no public timeline yet for when the work will proceed to West Main.

“Advance notice of the start of each phase, updates on construction, and information on planned community outreach events will be communicated throughout the duration of the project,” reads a portion of the Connect Charlottesville site.

On April 3, the City of Charlottesville issued an invitation for companies to bid on the first phase. Bids are due on May 5 with work on site slated for June 2, 2026. Final completion is expected by December 9, 2026. More details are available in the city’s procurement portal.

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