Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is resuming work to underground power lines in Plumas County along highways 89 and 70, as well as in Greenville. Contractors for PG&E are doing most of the work, which involves trenching in and alongside roadways.
Burying powerlines is the most effective solution to reducing the risk of wildfire from electrical equipment, said PG&E, reducing the risk of ignitions in areas at the highest risk of wildfire by nearly 98%. Undergrounding also makes power more reliable by reducing outages caused by winter storms. In some cases, it also eliminates the need for safety shutoffs.
“We at PG&E are deeply committed to doing everything we can to prevent wildfires in the communities we serve and live in,” said Joe Wilson, vice president of PG&E’s North Valley and Sierra Region. “Our region has been devastated by wildfires in recent years. Undergrounding work protects our communities.”
One-way traffic controls will occur 24 hours a day at project sites as crews trench and install conduit for underground lines. Motorists are advised to allow for more time when traveling these routes and can expect delays of about 15 minutes at locations on Highway 89 and up to 30 minutes at locations on Highway 70 except for holidays, until the projects are completed in 2025.
For more information about road impacts, call PG&E’s Community Rebuild Line at 800-254-5810.
Work is taking place as follows:
- On Highway 89 near Canyon Dam and the Wolf Creek Overcrossing. This work will occur May 20 – 24.
- Throughout the town of Greenville with most work in the areas of Hot Springs Road, Hideaway Road, Forgay Avenue and Alta Camp Road. This work is taking place from mid-April through the end of October.
- On Highway 70 from Paxton to the Greenville Wye. Work for this project will begin in June and continue through late October.
- On Highway 70 from Virgilia to Grays Flat. Work for this project will begin mid-May and continue through late October.
- On Highway 70 from Elephant Tunnel working toward Caribou Road. Work began in December 2022 with breaks during winter and will continue through late October.
- On Highway 89 from Canyon Dam to the U.S. Forest Service Greenville Campground. Paving rehabilitation work will take place from May 30 through June 19.
- On Highway 89 from the Moccasin area to Indian Falls. Paving rehabilitation work will take place from June 24 through July 2.
PG&E is building and expanding its electric system underground to not only help reduce wildfires caused by equipment but also to reduce the need for wildfire safety-related power outages. Undergrounding also will improve system reliability and decrease the need for vegetation management work.
The work is part of PG&E’s Community Wildfire Safety Program and it is being conducted in response to California’s growing wildfire risk. The company reports that undergrounding is just one of the layers of wildfire protection that has proven to be effective in reducing wildfire risk. PG&E is committed to moving 10,000 miles of powerlines underground in the highest fire-risk areas to reduce wildfire risk and improve reliability throughout California.
For more information about PG&E, visit pge.com and pge.com/news.
Information provided by Pacific Gas and Electric Co.
