Colonial Pipeline
The Colonial Pipeline is a double pipeline that supplies gasoline and other refined petroleum products from the Gulf Coast to distribution points across the Eastern United States. The pipeline crosses into Alabama from Mississippi in Sumter County near Paynesville, continues west by northwest through the southern part of the Birmingham area, and then crosses into Georgia from Cleburne County via Anniston and Heflin.
The pipeline is owned and operated by the Colonial Pipeline Company of Alpharetta, Georgia. It's development began in 1962 as a joint venture between several large petroleum companies. The ownership of the company currently consists of Koch Industries (28%), South Korea's National Pension Service / Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (23%), Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (17%), Royal Dutch Shell (16%), and Industry Funds Management (16%).
The pipeline was affected by two major incidents in the fall of 2016. On September 9 about 250,000 to 340,000 gallons of gasoline leaked from a rupture in the pipeline, triggering gas shortages in parts of the Southeast until a 500-foot by-pass was installed to restore service. On October 31 a major explosion and fire took place at a point about five miles west of the earlier leak, off of Shelby County Highway 13 at River Road west of Helena. The explosion occurred when a subcontractor working to drain the pipeline struck it with a trackhoe. Seven workers were injured and airlifted to UAB Hospital, where one died from his wounds. The fire burned overnight, fueling a wildfire that burned about 31 acres of drought-stricken forest before it was contained with earthen dams.
Route
- enters Alabama at Sumter County, west of Payneville
- pump station at 11261 Sumter County Highway 20 west of I-59/20 Exit 23 (Epes)
- crosses Tombigbee River into Greene County at mile 254
- crosses I-59/20 west of Boligee
- crosses Alabama State Route 14 southeast of I-59/20 Exit 40 (Eutaw)
- crosses U.S. Highway 11 north of Eutaw and south of Greenetrack
- crosses Black Warrior River into Hale County between mile 288 and 289
- crosses Hale County Highway 69 south of Moundville
- crosses into Tuscaloosa County east of Moundville
- crosses U.S. Highway 82 (McFarland Boulevard) southeast of Duncanville
- clips the northwest corner of Bibb County south of Vance
- pump station on Parsons Lane west of Vance Blocton Road south of Vance
- crosses Alabama State Route 5 north of Blocton and south of Woodstock
- crosses Shades Creek into Shelby County just above its outlet into the Cahaba River
- crosses Honcock Creek just above its outlet into the Cahaba River
- crosses the Cahaba River just above Ward Creek
- crosses Shelby County Highway 91 (Coalmont Road), 2.75 miles south of Helena High School
- crosses Shelby County Highway 17 (Coalmont Road) at Spruce Drive (Royal Pines subdivision)
- passes south of Penhale Park in Helena
- crosses Heather Ridge Drive at Runaway Drive in Helena
- crosses U.S. Highway 31 (Pelham Parkway) just south of Shelby County Highway 52 and Peavine Creek
- crosses I-65 just north of Shelby County Highway 52 at Exit 242
- crosses U.S. Highway 11 at Ruby Drive in Pelham
- crosses Shelby County Highway 69 1.3 miles south of Yellowleaf Game Preserve
- crosses Shelby County Highway 47 0.6 miles south of Indian Hills Country Club
- crosses Shelby County Highway 51 just south of Chelsea Park Road
- crosses Shelby County Highway 55 0.4 miles east of Cheshire Drive in Westover
- crosses Shelby County Highway 83 at Reynolds Road and Blue Springs Branch north of Harpersville
- crosses U.S. Highway 231 at Shelby County Highway 25 and Spring Creek just north of Vincent
- clips the southwest corner of St Clair County north of Childersburg
- crosses the Coosa River into Talladega County just below Elliot Island
- crosses Alabama State Route 235 just north of Grasmere
- pump station on Logan Martin Dam Road just off Glovers Ferry Road west of Briarfield
- passes north of St Ives and south of Jonesview
- crosses Alabama State Route 77 at Ridgewood Forest Drive north of Talladega
- passes north of Anniston Army Depot (Coosa River Area)
- crosses Priebes Mill road just south of Choccolocco Creek in Munford
- crosses Choccolocco Creek southwest of Oxford, near I-20 mile marker 181
- crosses into Calhoun County just south of the Anniston Metropolitan Airport
- crosses I-20 near the Oxford Civic Center
- crosses Choccolocco Creek and U.S. Highway 431 just south of I-20 Exit 191
- crosses into Cleburne County at Highland Lakes Boulevard
- exits the Talladega National Forest just south of I-20 near mile marker 199
- pump station on Cleburne County Highway 46 just north of I-20 Exit 205
- crosses Cleburne County Highway 66 and the Tallapoosa River just north Cleburne County Highway 408
- crosses Cleburne County Highway 49 just north of Kemp Creek and south of Lebanon
- crosses into Haralson County, Georgia about 1 mile north of I-20
See also
References
- "Colonial Pipeline" (September 20, 2016) Wikipedia, accessed October 31, 2016
- Pillion, Dennis (November 1, 2016) "Alabama gasoline pipeline explosion: What we know today." The Birmingham News
External links
- Colonial Pipeline route on Google Maps