BC Hydro update #11: Fraser River Transmission Infrastructure
3:30 p.m. PDT - Friday, August 5
SURREY – BC Hydro is taking the next significant step in securing and stabilizing a 500-kilovolt transmission tower on the south side of the Fraser River near the Port Mann Bridge. On Saturday, Aug. 6 crews will begin driving eight 100-foot-high steel piles 36 feet into the river bed around the footings of the tower that are in the Fraser River. This work follows three weeks of placing riprap (rocks of various sizes) around the base of the tower.
Work will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p..m daily starting Aug. 6 until Aug. 12. BC Hydro appreciates everyone’s patience as the restoration work continues.
Once the pile driving is complete, crews will construct support beams on the piles to establish a new foundation for the tower for the eventual straightening of the structure. BC Hydro is communicating the status of this work to the communities in Surrey and Coquitlam and is also placing radio ads, contacting homeowners in the area through mail drops where feasible to provide residents with updates and additional information.
BACKGROUND
The lines being carried by the tower remain de-energized. The tower’s foundation was damaged in mid-June and was further destabilized by the same erosion that ultimately led to the fall of a 230-kilovolt transmission tower into the Fraser River on Monday, July 4. For background and previous updates, please visit www.bchydro.com/mediabulletins.
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For more information
BC Hydro Media Relations
p. 604.928.6468