City strengthening electrical system
By Jensen, Randy on September 17, 2020.
LETHBRIDGE HERALD
Lethbridge residents may notice helicopters along the river valley and excavation around the Highway 3 bridge over the next month, but it’s actually the machinery required to help strengthen the City’s electrical system.
Starting today, crews will begin to install pipes to house electrical cables under the Oldman River just south of the Highway 3 bridge, adding greater stability to the City’s electric system.
Due to restrictions on overhead lines over waterways, building an underground system is the simplest approach, the City said in a news release. Currently, there is one other crossing for electrical lines near the Whoop-Up Bridge. This work is expected to wrap up at the end of October, weather permitting.
Starting Monday, AltaLink will be doing maintenance work on the transmission line running from the north Lethbridge substation on Stafford Drive North to the Coalbanks substation south of Whoop-Up Drive. The transmission line is contained mostly within the coulee area of Lethbridge.
The work includes using helicopters frequently during business hours. There are no scheduled power outages. This work is expected to wrap up on Nov. 5.
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