Drivers in northeast Riverbank have noticed a road closure and detour for traffic on Claus Road. Signs say the work is scheduled to continue until June 1.
North/South traffic on Claus is being re-routed onto Patterson Road. Autos are allowed to turn onto Eighth Street while trucks are diverted further west, onto First Street to reconnect to Atchison Street/Highway 108.
The contractors are digging up Pacific Gas & Electric pipelines at the Claus/Santa Fe intersection to replace valves on the gas pipes there.
PG&E gas facilities across the state are being upgraded in the aftermath of the pipeline explosion and fire on Sept. 9, 2010, in San Bruno, a suburb of San Francisco.
At that time, a 30-inch diameter steel natural gas pipeline owned by PG&E exploded into flames in the Crestmoor residential neighborhood two miles west of San Francisco International Airport.
The loud roar and shaking led some residents of the area, first responders, and news media to initially believe that it was an earthquake or that a large jetliner had crashed. It took crews nearly an hour to determine it was a gas pipeline explosion, according to news sources.