PG&E Continues Repairs to Transmission Towers Damaged by Third Party in Burlingame; Section of Highway 101 Closed Overnight f...
August 30 2015 - 7:18PM
Business Wire
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) crews will be
replacing high-voltage electric transmission wires across Highway
101 in Burlingame tonight after a third party doing construction
work severely damaged a tower and related electrical equipment on
Friday night. PG&E is partnering with the California Highway
Patrol (CHP) and Caltrans to allow the work to be conducted safely,
without any risk to employees or the public.
Caltrans and the CHP will close the freeway in both directions
tonight from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Southbound lanes will be closed at
Millbrae Avenue and northbound lanes will be closed at Anza
Boulevard to allow PG&E to restring power lines from one
transmission tower to temporary poles that were erected Saturday to
replace the severely damaged tower.
PG&E, Caltrans and the CHP appreciate the patience and
cooperation of the public, and will work to reopen the freeway as
quickly as is safely possible. This repair work is being done
during the late evening and early morning to mitigate impact to Bay
Area drivers. Caltrans and the CHP recommend delaying any
unnecessary driving if possible during this time or using alternate
routes through the area, such as Interstate 280 and El Camino
Real.
“Our partner agencies have done a tremendous job to help make
the situation safe for the public and assist in this major repair
and restoration effort. We appreciate the patience of the public,
the hard work of our employees to safely and quickly address the
situation, and the combined partnership of CHP, Caltrans,
Burlingame Fire Department and Burlingame Police Department
throughout this ongoing and significant event,” said Jason Regan,
director of Emergency Management at PG&E.
“In times of an emergency, we automatically look to allied
agencies such as local law enforcement and fire departments to
assist us in fulfilling our mission of making sure everyone gets
home safely at the end of the day. We have a great working
relationship with PG&E and Caltrans. We are glad to have
the opportunity to work with them and observe their crews working
tirelessly day and night during this emergency,” said Officer
Arturo Montiel, Public Information Officer for CHP.
“Safety is our shared commitment. Our partners at PG&E, CHP,
and local first responders were on the scene immediately securing
the safety of motorists and the workers during this project,” said
Caltrans District Director Bijan Sartipi.
Background
A non-PG&E third-party contractor, Jafec USA, severely
damaged a major transmission tower that carries power to the
Peninsula and San Francisco on Friday night, bringing high-voltage
power lines down onto the freeway, city streets and a pedestrian
walkway. PG&E and first responders, including the CHP and local
police and fire agencies, worked to make the area safe as quickly
as possible, resulting in no injuries.
A crane operated by the contractor buckled the tower, and the
resulting strain on the transmission wires caused damage to the two
other connected transmission towers. Caltrans provided three
80-foot wooden poles to allow PG&E to quickly construct a
temporary replacement for the most seriously damaged tower.
PG&E had electric first responders on site within 10 minutes
of the accident, and additional resources and crews from across
Northern California were dispatched to the scene. Specialized
equipment, personnel and vehicles are integral for a repair
job of this magnitude on a primary artery of the electric
system.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E
Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas
and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San
Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers
some of the nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in
Northern and Central California. For more information, visit
www.pge.com/ and
www.pge.com/en/about/newsroom/index.page.
http://www.pgecurrents.com/http://www.facebook.com/pacificgasandelectrichttps://twitter.com/pge4mehttp://www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-gas-and-electric-companyhttp://www.youtube.com/user/pgevideo
About California Highway Patrol (CHP)
The objective of the California Highway Patrol for this incident
is to facilitate for a safe work environment for workers and the
motoring public.
About the California Department of Transportation
(Caltrans)
Caltrans maintains 50,000 lane-miles of state highways and
roadways. Caltrans mission is to provide a safe, sustainable,
integrated transportation system to enhance California’s economy
and livability. Follow us on twitter: @caltranshq
View source
version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150830005045/en/
PG&EEllen Hayes, 415-973-5930orCHPArturo Montiel,
650-207-0315orCaltransRobert Haus, 510-715-7212
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