AUSTINTOWN — A gas line project will affect several homeowners along one road in the township, including the township itself.

At Monday’s trustees meeting, Township Administrator Mark D’Apolito said Austintown owns one parcel of land along a stretch of Burkey Road where Enbridge Ohio Gas (formerly Dominion) will be replacing a long length of main gas line, and is purchasing right-of-way from property owners there to accommodate the project.

“They don’t need our approval or blessing, as a utility,” D’Apolito said. “The only reason we’re involved is because we’re a property owner. This isn’t something we have authority over.”

D’Apolito said the right-of-way will extend an additional 10 feet into property owners’ yards.

Austintown owns a 0.41-acre parcel along the stretch in question.

The utility right-of-way naturally extends 25 feet in each direction from the centerline of the road – 12 feet to the curb, then another 13 feet to the end of the right-of-way. The new project will add 10 feet onto that, meaning that homeowners cannot build any large structures within that space.

D’Apolito said zoning laws prohibit building items like sheds that close to the road anyway.

Stehpanie Moore, a spokesperson for Enbridge Ohio, said the company is securing the right-of-way along Burkey for a Pipeline Infrastructure Replacement project.

“Our engineering team is designing a project to replace 14,000 feet of mainline pipeline in 2025,” she said. “We’re currently in the design and permitting portion of the project. The design team is seeking a 10′ easement roughly 170′ feet in length across two parcels that are parallel to Burkey Road to cross a stream.”

Moore said that once the $3 million project begins in earnest, roughly 230 customers could be impacted.

“We notify customers in advance of starting a project and make sure traffic control measures are in place to keep traffic flowing and to ensure public safety for the duration of construction,” she said.

Moore said they estimate the project could take three to four months to complete.