Transmission Line Rebuild Over Susquehanna River Required Floating Road for Project Success
Professional transmission crews from I.B. Abel’s Utility Services team completed a 1.2-mile transmission line repair and rebuild project over the Susquehanna River in the greater Harrisburg, PA, area for long-term client PPL Electric Utilities. Our experienced utility construction team navigated complex obstacles, including crossing the Susquehanna River, two Amtrak railroads (and their transmission, catenary, and signal lines), as well as two Norfolk Southern railways on both sides of the river. Compliance with the rail providers’ guidelines was critical for the project’s success, and I.B. Abel’s project managers and field crews diligently collaborated to ensure safety and quality every inch of the way.
Due to the Susquehanna River containing several large islands near Harrisburg, this project required the team to build a 1,700-ft. causeway to access Stucker Island and an 800-ft. floating road to reach Hess Island. Removal of various electrical assets was also critical before new utility construction could begin, including 18 spans of dual circuit 69kV lines, 6 steel monopoles, 10 wood poles, and 3 lattice towers. Our team also completed the replacement of a Load Break Air Brake switch and installed a variety of overhead power line spans on 9 new foundation steel monopole structures, which feature poles extending 230 ft. in height on top of concrete supports reaching 22 ft.
To meet the specific needs for this complex project, I.B. Abel’s results-oriented Wireless Services team was also engaged with the Utility Services crew throughout the project planning and electrical construction work. Read more about our Wireless Service crew’s contributions to another project’s success in partnership with Verizon here or view additional projects completed successfully for PPL Electric Utilities.
