HINESBURG, Vt. (AP) — Vermont Gas Systems says it expects to finish building a roughly 40-mile natural gas pipeline this spring that will stretch from Colchester to Middlebury.
The utility tells Vermont Public Radio more than 2,000 feet of pipeline remain. The project involves drilling horizontally underneath a public park in Hinesburg.
The project was budgeted at $86.6 million in 2013. Its current budget is about $166 million.
Vermont Gas says it stayed within its budget this past quarter.
The state Supreme Court lifted a stay last year and allowed the utility to progress with construction despite pending litigation.
Vermont Gas has posted a $1 million bond to cover the cost of removing the pipeline and restoring the land in case the high court rules against it.
An appeal from Hinesburg neighbors is pending.
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