Spire to upgrade infrastructure in St. Joseph, replacing decades-old steel pipe

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- For the next three years, Spire will be more involved in the community, working to upgrade its infrastructure.

Abe Forney, director of Public Works and Transportation, said the collaboration with Spire is intended to keep disruptions to a minimum.

“We've been working with street closures and upgrading their infrastructure so it has the least amount of impact on our residents,” he said. 

Forney said Spire is working to ensure there are no emergency repairs needed in the city.

“Being proactive to communicate with us to get these street closures done and get this done for our residents in St. Joseph,” he said.

One of the company's top priorities is replacing an old steel pipe that has been in the ground for decades with a new plastic pipe. Over time, unprotected steel pipes can corrode, leading to problems with gas-powered appliances.

Johnny Bunton, Spire field operations manager, said the old pipe has reached its lifespan underground.

“We're replacing it with a new plastic pipe. It’s a little thicker, a little more stable. It has a lot longer lifespan underground, and it helps keep our gas reliable for our customers,” he said.

Bunton said the new pipe gives better visibility than the older pipe.

“For people digging around it. It’s yellow versus a black piece of pipe or a brown piece of pipe underground,” he said. “Easier to see, we can locate it better. It’s just an overall better product for our customers.”

Bunton said customers will see better efficiency once the upgrades are complete.

“Hopefully not see us as much at the door or the neighborhoods once we come through there due to the reliability of the pipe and infrastructure we're putting into the ground,” he said. “Service interruption-wise should be very minimal. We can pretty well handle everything outside. There are times we may have to contact the customer and may have to do a relighting of some sort, but we try to keep that to a minimum.”

Sprie will continue replacing aging pipes in the city through 2029.