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Public Advisory: Tower installation to start on new transmission line; motorists advised of traffic interruptions

April 17th, 2017

Update (May 1):  Tower installation has been completed between Chapel Arm and  Come By Chance.  The wire stringing process in this area has started and will be completed mid-May. Hydro is asking motorists to continue to obey signage, reduce speeds, and watch for workers in this area.

The next tower installation phase is expected to start in June and will continue from Come By Chance just past Swift Current. The third phase will conclude in Bay d’Espoir and finish up by the fall.

April 17

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro (Hydro) is advising that tower installation will start this week on a new transmission line which will run from Bay d’ Espoir to Chapel Arm on the Avalon Peninsula.

The first phase of tower installation will take place between Chapel Arm and Come By Chance, along the existing transmission corridor on the Trans-Canada Highway. Tower installation and wire stringing in this area is anticipated to be completed by mid- May.

There will be brief traffic interruptions (approximately 10 minute periods) throughout the day during this period to accommodate the work. Hydro is asking motorists to obey signage, reduce speeds, and watch for workers in this area as safety is our primary concern. The public’s patience and co-operation is very much appreciated.

About 150 towers will be erected with helicopter assistance during the first phase; and over 580 towers will be installed in total along the entire transmission corridor by this fall. The route parallels two existing transmission lines between the Bay d’Espoir Generating Station and the Western Avalon Terminal Station.

The tower installation process marks an important milestone in the development of the new 230 kV transmission line designed to strengthen the provincial electricity grid. Line clearing and initial construction started last summer.

The upgrade of this corridor will enable additional power capacity into the Avalon Peninsula where population is concentrated and consumer demand for electricity is at its highest in the province. The new line will relieve line congestion, enhance the reliability of the current transmission network originally built in the late 1960s, and reinforce the future interconnection of the island electricity system with Labrador.

The new line is scheduled to be completed and in service by this winter.



Media Contact:

Susanne Hiller, Senior Communications Advisor

709-727-0989

susannehiller@nlh.nl.ca