Ameren Missouri says construction is underway on an 11-mile natural gas pipeline from Columbia to Ashland, which currently does not have natural gas service.
Officials with the utility say the $11 million project is expected to be completed by mid-September.
The Columbia Daily Tribune reports the current delivery system to Ashland is a 4-inch line that is running out of capacity as the area grows.
Ameren officials say extending a 10-inch gas main from Columbia south to Ashland will help improve that capacity. No customers have yet asked for the service.
The pipeline will generally run parallel to Highway 63 but the utility says construction will not impede traffic.