Crews work to repair transmission line damaged in aircraft crash
Repair to line in Abbotsford's Clearbrook neighbourhood poses unique challenges
UPDATE: Nov. 20, 12 p.m.
BC Hydro crews are working 25 metres above the ground today to repair three conductors on a major transmission line that were damaged by an aircraft that came down near Highway 1 in Abbotsford on Monday night.
Crews will continue to work throughout the day, splicing the cable back together by hand to complete the complex repair. BC Hydro does not anticipate any outages related to the work today.
UPDATE: Nov. 19, 3:30 p.m.
All lanes of Highway 1 are now open. BC Hydro crews have completed the temporary access road and have started making repairs to the line.
Crews will work until nightfall, and will continue the repair work tomorrow morning. Repairs will be completed by Wednesday and BC Hydro does not anticipate any outages related to the work this evening, overnight or on Wednesday.
UPDATE: 1 p.m.
Highway 1 has reopened in both directions except for a 500-metre stretch in an eastbound lane. The small closure is for BC Hydro’s equipment, which is being used to build the temporary road to access the damaged transmission line.
Crews will repair the conductors this afternoon, which involves splicing together some of the damaged cables. BC Hydro does not anticipate any outages related to the work.
UPDATE: 10 a.m.
BC Hydro crews are working to repair a major transmission line that was damaged by an aircraft that came down near Highway 1 in Abbotsford Monday night.
The aircraft caused significant damage to three conductors and there is a risk that the lines may fall down. In the interest of public safety, the police initially closed the highway earlier this morning. One eastbound lane remains closed but is expected to re-open later this morning.
BC Hydro's transmission crews are on-site. This is a difficult repair as the farm fields in the area are saturated and difficult to access. Crews will need to build a temporary road to access the section of the line that is damaged.
The damaged conductors are part of a 500-kilovolt transmission circuit that delivers power from Clayburn Substation in Abbotsford to Ingeldow Substation in Surrey.
There are no power outages as a result of the damage. However, the 500-kilovolt transmission line is key to BC Hydro’s ability to serve the Lower Mainland’s power needs, making it a priority to get the line safely back into service.