Duquesne Light Company to upgrade more than 100 transmissions towers
Duquesne Light Company (DLC) will replace more than 100 transmission towers starting Dec. 13 to upgrade aging infrastructure and increase capacity.
The BI-Crescent Transmission Project replaces structures that are more than 100 years old. They are located along a 14.5-mile stretch between the company’s Brunot Island and Crescent Township substations in the Pittsburgh area, serving customers in Crescent, Moon, Robinson, and Kennedy townships, as well as McKees Rocks and the City of Pittsburgh.
“There’s a greater demand for energy as our communities continue to grow. To meet that demand, we must find ways to enhance performance and service reliability,” Jason Hartle, a project manager for DLC who is overseeing BI-Crescent, said. “The transmission lines between Brunot Island and Crescent Township were installed more than a century ago, and it’s time to upgrade that network. The design and technology improvements will help us deliver energy more efficiently to homes, businesses, and communities in that area.”
The new towers will be approximately 155 feet high on average, far taller than the current towers, which average 93 feet in height. They will be built with weathered steel monopoles, as opposed to the existing galvanized lattice steel towers. The monopoles have several benefits, including a smaller ground footprint, reduced inspection and maintenance costs, and stacked circuits that are farther away from trees and other vegetation.
Construction will generally occur during the winter months. It is expected to be complete by 2027. It will cause occasional scheduled power outages for some customers, but they will be notified in advance, and they won’t last more than two hours at a time. There will also be increased traffic around construction zones, including periodic single-lane closures. Also, DLC will work with property owners in designated work areas to help minimize disruptions.
“Our customers have come to expect a high level of service from us,” John Hilderbrand II, DLC’s vice president of operations, said. “Through projects like BI-Crescent, we’re working to exceed their expectations now and going forward.”
