Maine Power Reliability Program (MPRP) Transmission
Maine Power Reliability Program (MPRP) |
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|---|---|
| Client | Central Maine Power (a subsidiary of Iberdrola USA) |
| Completion Date | December 2014 |
| Location | Maine |
| Completed by | The L.E. Myers Co. and MYR Energy Services, Inc. |
L.E. Myers and MYR Energy joined forces to construct and rebuild more than 1,000 structures and string 210 miles of 345kV and 115kV transmission lines throughout northeastern Maine as part of the Maine Power Reliability Program (MPRP).
The largest infrastructure project in Maine history at the time, MPRP increased system reliability by modernizing the state’s aging bulk power system and providing the infrastructure for its emerging wind, hydro, biomass, and tidal energy industries.
MYR Energy provided construction management and material procurement for the Northern Loop – the largest portion of the MPRP – which included constructing and rebuilding 2,000-plus structures and 210 miles of 115kV and 345kV transmission lines throughout northeastern Maine. The 345kV transmission lines feature wood H-frames, steel monopoles, steel three-pole angle structures, and eight steel lattice towers. The 115kV transmission lines are single pole wood construction with H-frame and steel single pole construction. They include new and rebuilt lines, which required the existing facilities to be retired, demolished, and disposed.
L.E. Myers crews completed 18 segments, all of which required concurrent work at any given time, working through harsh winters. They safely completed a wire pull that spanned 2,419 feet over the Penobscot River, a delicate, risky operation that involved a helicopter, two cranes, and two pairs of 380-foot-tall lattice towers on opposite banks of the river.
The project presented highly challenging environmental concerns, including a steep slope between a gas pipeline and remote stream channels, saturated wetland pockets, and fragile wildlife habitats. As such, it was performed under strict environmental monitoring by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and third-party inspectors. The seasons and times work could be performed also were restricted.
L.E. Myers crews treaded carefully in the sensitive ecosystems and, to oversee compliance with more than 5,000 pages of environmental permits, the MYR Energy-L.E. Myers team hired a full-time environmental coordinator.