In regard to the gas line being struck on East Moorhead on Oct. 1 as part of the South Boulder Creek flood mitigation project, after reviewing the circumstances with the contractor who was installing the fence, the city has confirmed that they did follow the required protocol and requested utility locates prior to beginning work. Unfortunately, the gas line was not identified during that process. While uncommon, missed locates do occasionally occur. As soon as the line was struck, the contractor immediately stopped work and notified Xcel Energy and local authorities, who responded to the site and made the necessary repairs.
We are actively coordinating with Xcel to ensure we minimize the potential for missed locates on future projects. The city takes utility coordination and public safety very seriously, and we work closely with all utility partners to prevent incidents like this whenever possible.