Jun. 25--By the end of this month, billions of cubic feet of natural gas could begin flowing through Hendricks County in the new $6.6 billion Rockies Express Pipeline from Colorado to Ohio.

Construction is nearly complete on the 42-inch diameter buried pipe that runs across Indiana and swings around the south side of the Indianapolis metro area.

The 166-mile route across the state passes through Parke, Putnam, Hendricks, Morgan, Johnson, Shelby, Decatur and Franklin counties.

Allen Fore, director of community relations for Rockies Express, said 1,000 to 1,500 welders and other workers move along the route, settling temporarily in each community.

"They shop in the local stores, eat in the local restaurants, buy from the local gasoline stations, stay in the local motels... Most of the supplies are bought locally," Fore said.

The Indiana section of gas pipeline is part of a 1,679-mile system that is to deliver an average 1.8 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day from fields in the Rocky Mountains to homes and businesses along the route, ending in eastern Ohio.

The project is being developed by Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, Sempra Pipelines and ConocoPhillips.

Fore said this week that the pipeline is constructed and buried under about 5 feet of soil all across Indiana. So it is nearly ready to begin moving natural gas.

The three-year project is in its final phase, and he said restoration of the disturbed landscape has begun across the state.

Michael Moore owns about 120 acres on the Hendricks-Putnam county line, and about 2,000 feet of pipeline runs through his farm. He said restoration work began last fall, and he planted crops this spring over the buried pipe.

"I'm happy with it. You can tell that the soil was disturbed, but the topsoil was restored. It will take a couple years to build back up. I'm pleased with the outcome," he said.

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