Barnard Construction Co., Inc.

Owner:

Kern River Gas Transmission Co.

Scope Of Work

Kern River Gas confronted a nearly impossible task – to bury 28 miles of 36-inch-diameter high pressure natural gas pipeline across Utah’s steep and craggy Wasatch Mountain Range. Completing this mainline expansion loop through three Utah counties would improve service for the natural gas delivery system that serves Southern California. Access would be challenging. Seven miles of the alignment required helicopter delivery of employees, materials, fuel and pipe. This wild and scenic site also involved working under strict environmental regulations, including raptor and sage grouse restrictions. And the project demanded a tight construction window, with a completion deadline of 11 months, four of which were effectively shut down for the winter.

Our Barnard Team was well prepared for what was considered the most difficult pipeline project in the country at the time. Given the time constraints, we hired on 600 employees at the project’s peak. Our Team’s experience constructing across steep terrain helped us plan for and carry out the 40 percent of the project that involved extremely steep mountainsides. And our blasting experience meant we could construct the work efficiently, even when it entailed blasting within 20 feet of an existing line. In addition to the mountainside work, we also crossed highways and creeks and worked through a residential area. We were able to meet Kern River’s deadline, despite working through the most rainfall in the area’s recorded history.