Gas line installation error delays $30-million Mass. street project

A gas line alignment issue has delayed the planned reconstruction of downtown Northampton, Massachusetts Main Street, pushing the timeline for the city’s nearly $30 million Picture Main Street project back by at least six months. 

City officials recently learned that natural gas lines installed by Eversource Energy may not align with the city’s approved design plans for the project. The discovery has postponed the expected bidding timeline from August 2026 to an estimated June 2027 while engineers determine the exact location of the underground utilities.

To investigate the issue, Northampton plans to excavate approximately 20 test pits along Main Street later this month. The exploratory work will allow crews to visually confirm the location of the gas lines and determine whether design modifications are required to avoid conflicts with planned infrastructure upgrades. The investigation is expected to take several days and cost roughly $50,000.

The Picture Main Street project aims to modernize downtown infrastructure, including upgrades to water, sewer and stormwater systems that are more than a century old. Additional improvements include wider sidewalks, protected bike lanes and traffic changes designed to improve safety and accessibility.

Funded through a combination of state, federal and local sources—including support from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation—the project is part of a broader effort to revitalize Northampton’s downtown while addressing aging underground utility infrastructure. City officials say resolving the gas line conflict is necessary before final design plans can move forward in the state approval process.