TOWN OF CARY TO HOLD MEETING WITH GENERAL CONTRACTOR AS NEXT STEP IN EVALUATING GAS LINE INCIDENT

CARY , NC – With the North Carolina Utilities Commission’s report on the October 10 gas line rupture now complete, the Town of Cary plans to meet with the project’s general contractor before deciding on how it will proceed with possible financial claims in the matter.  The Town expects the meeting to take place in January; no specific date has been set.  The Town estimates its costs for the incident to be around $52,000.

“We appreciate the work by the Utilities Commission and the perspective it adds to our review of the incident,” said Town Manager Bill Coleman.  “The findings will be an important part of future discussions we have with Rea Contracting, the project’s general contractor.”  Coleman noted that the general contractor is typically responsible for the work of its subcontractors.

At just after 11 a.m. on October 10, 2007 , a subcontractor - Fulcher Electric - drilled into an 8-inch high pressure gas line while trying to lay the foundation for a new traffic light at the intersection of Kildaire Farm and Tryon roads.  The gas ignited and burned for several hours while crews worked to place a valve in the line to stop the flow of gas.  No one was hurt in the incident. Fulcher was working for Rea, which has been hired by the Town of Cary to complete the second phase of the Tryon Road widening project. 

Following a subsurface utility excavation and onsite meetings, work to install the traffic signal at a nearby location within the intersection is expected to start again in January.  Rea will continue on the job, and the Town will allow the contractor to continue using Fulcher on the project if it so chooses.

“Rea has been a very good contractor for the Town, and we believe it’s in the community’s best interest to keep them in place and the project moving forward,” said Coleman.  “I am confident that everyone involved is paying especially close attention to the details surrounding their work and that safety is the number one priority.”

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