Enbridge seasonal Line 5 maintenance identifies coating issue; repair planning now underway

May 27, 2020

Enbridge began its seasonal maintenance work for Line 5 in the Straits at the beginning of May and has already made significant progress with several scheduled activities.

Crews have installed seven new steel screw anchors with 13 more to complete the current span management program.

As part of our pre-anchor installation work, crews inspecting the coating of the pipe found spots on the east segment of Line 5 worthy of further inspection. We immediately inspected the line with remotely operated vehicles and with divers and determined there are no integrity issues and Line 5 remains safe. Four locations will require coating repairs where there are bare metal spots ranging from .07 to .43 square feet. The coating repairs are anticipated to take 5-10 days.

The ongoing maintenance and inspections for Line 5 worked exactly as intended. In this case we identified the coating issues and we are already moving quickly to make repairs per the previously State-approved coating repair work plan.

Ultimately, the Great Lakes Tunnel is the best long-term solution for Line 5. We believe the tunnel is the best way to protect the community and the environmental integrity of the Great Lakes while safely meeting Michigan’s energy needs and ensuring Line 5 will be an integral part of Michigan’s future.