New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG) will have to get creative in their efforts to replace a gas main beneath Port-Au-Peck Avenue, as Oceanport denied the company's request to rip away at the newly-resurfaced roadway to do so.

Borough Engineer William White brought the matter to the borough council's attention during the workshop portion of Thursday's regular meeting at borough hall.

White said the gas company requested a permit to dig 15 feet beneath Port-Au-Peck Avenue near its intersection with Myrtle Avenue and also under the Monmouth Park railroad crossing, a segment of road which was just repaved in October, to replace an aging gas pipe.

The work is the next phase in NJNG's Peninsula Area gas line upgrade project which caused Seven Bridges Road in Little Silver to close down daily from October through December.

Councilman William Johnson said NJNG was invited to a pre-construction meeting but did not come forward with the project at that point. Johnson said if they had, the borough would have been willing to work with them.

"We just finished paving it two months ago. We got nothing but compliments about it. The last thing we want to do is rip it up," said Johnson.

White said many roads in town are still scarred from when the borough replaced gas lines in the late 90's. Johnson added that most of the problems roads in town experience are the result of utility work done over the years.

"Once you open a road up, it's never the same, no matter what you did to it," Johnson said.

White believes it's possible for the gas company to tunnel in from the side and replace the main without having to open up the road.

"We're going to tell them 'no' for now, see what they come back with. Hopefully they'll be able to tunnel under the railroad," said Johnson.