Alternate route for Power Trail users starting March 2
FORT COLLINS, Colo., – Power Trail users between Harmony and Prospect roads along Timberline Road in Fort Collins will have to use an alternate route in early March as Platte River Power Authority (Platte River) installs fiber optic cable to the transmission line.
Beginning Monday, March 2, and continuing through Thursday, March 19, Platte River’s contractor, Sturgeon Electric Company, Inc., will install new optical ground wire (OPGW) along the top shield wire position of the transmission lines located between Harmony and Prospect roads along the Power Trail. In addition to improving critical communications for the electric grid, OPGW cables serve as reliable grounding shields for lightning protection.
For the safety of both contractors and the community, the Power Trail will be fully closed between Harmony and Prospect roads for the duration of the project. Crews will be using bucket trucks and other heavy equipment, and installing fiber on the shield wire requires working at significant heights. Maintaining a clear, secure work zone is essential to completing this work safely and efficiently.
The project team recognizes the inconvenience this causes for frequent users of the Power Trail and has intentionally scheduled all activities to occur at once to minimize the duration of closures and avoid multiple, prolonged disruptions. Once completed, this work should not need to occur for another 20 years.
Sturgeon Electric Company, Inc., will have flaggers at the Power Trail and traffic controllers where the transmission lines cross Horsetooth and Drake roads, though traffic is not expected to be significantly impacted by this work. Signs directing Power Trail users to an alternate route will be posted by March 2.
The project timeline is subject to change based on weather conditions.
The detour route and updates about the project, including any changes to the Power Trail closure timeline, are available at prpa.org/transmission/fiber.