Author: Robert Duggan

Hillcrest Conduit and Vault Installation

Beginning the first week of September, City Light plans to maintain electrical reliability in the Hillcrest Development by rebuilding parts of the underground system. The overall refurbishing of the system began in 2013. City Light must now return to complete the next phase of the project. The work involves trenching in the right-of-way of three sections in the area. Any affected landscaping, sod, driveway aprons, and sidewalks will be restored to City standards. Trenches will be plated at night to allow traffic to safely pass after construction hours. The project will proceed in the planned order shown below with the SW Bradford Street section starting first.

Hillcrest Development construction areas and sequence.

After the trenching is completed in February 2017, new electric cable will be pulled into place. This phase will not require trenching, but power outages will be necessary during the March-June 2017 time frame. Customers will receive advanced notification with specific dates and times.

The Hillcrest improvements are a follow up to City Light’s silicon injection program. Since 2008, the utility has been testing and injecting underground electric cable with silicon to extend its life. System-wide, approximately 170 miles of cable have been tested and 133 of those miles were found suited to injection. Cables not suited to injection require replacement. The cable injection program at City Light has confirmed the results found at other electric utilities worldwide; i.e. modern cable injection is a very cost effective option to extend the life of underground electric cable.

The project is essential for the electrical reliability in the community.

For more information visit: seattle.gov/light/atwork/release.asp?RN=371

Fairview Bridge Replacement Project

Beginning in August, City Light plans to install a temporary set of power lines along Fairview Avenue North in anticipation of Seattle Department of Transportation’s (SDOT) Fairview Bridge Replacement Project. The work will involve installing two new temporary steel poles and power lines, and then de-energizing the current permanent lines to give the proper electrical safety clearance for the bridge work. The temporary poles and power lines will be removed in 2019 upon SDOT’s completion of the Fairview Bridge. See the picture below of the impacted area.


Seattle City Light plans to install the pole’s foundation from August 1st to August 15th, which will close the gravel right-of-way on the north side of the existing bridge and a portion of the south side parking. The crews will need to utilize these areas to stage the necessary equipment and work safely. Both areas will also be closed during the pole erection and overhead power line work that is anticipated to begin by the end of August or early September of 2016.

The upcoming project is essential for SDOT’s safe and timely completion of their Fairview Bridge Project. For more information about SDOT’s project, please visit: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/fairviewbridge.htm. For more information about the City Light’s involvement in the project, please visit: http://www.seattle.gov/light/atwork/release.asp?RN=349.