FERC on Friday authorized Atlantic Coast Pipeline LLC (ACP) to proceed with full construction in certificated workspaces in West Virginia where tree felling has occurred and for other properties without trees where the company has obtained legal rights of access.

While Friday’s notice to proceed clears a considerable chunk of construction to begin, it’s still limited to specific facilities and does not grant the use of certain access roads, compressor stations and yards not yet authorized. It also excludes workspace located on U.S. National Forest Service Lands.

ACP made the request on April 13 and had asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to grant it this month in order to keep the project on track for a late 2019 in-service date. The 600-mile, 1.5 Bcf/d pipeline would also cross Virginia and North Carolina to move more Appalachian natural gas to the Southeast.

As interstate natural gas pipeline projects have increasingly faced social opposition and more regulatory agencies at both the state and federal levels have gotten involved in the permitting process as a result, sponsors have opted to file incrementally for NTPs. ACP has already received several of them.

The latest order also authorizes use of certain access roads in West Virginia and North Carolina, as well as two new contractor yards in West Virginia.