Even in a Navy town where helicopters are a common sight, the helicopter that crossed the St. Johns River to newly built JEA transmission towers and dropped off construction workers and equipment as if hanging ornaments on an enormous Christmas tree was a sight to behold from the water and shore.
The delicate operation on July 27 kicked off the next phase of a $117 million project for raising the high-voltage power lines that cross the St. Johns River just east of the Dames Point bridge so bigger cargo ships can pass underneath them.
In the coming months, pulleys installed by workers high up on the towers will be part of the equipment used to pull new transmission lines from one side of the river to the other. The six new towers — three on each side of the river — and power lines will be substantially higher above the river than the current towers.
“It looks simple but you have to be very careful with the helicopter flying around the energized lines,” said Gabor Acs, director of engineering projects for JEA, as he watched the work from the south shore of the river “So it’s a very critical phase.”
JaxPort CEO Eric Green took in his own view of the work while he was on board a U.S. Coast Guard vessel. City Council member Mike Gay, whose Northside district contains the area where JEA is doing the construction, joined Green on the boat. City Council President Nick Howland watched from shore.
Raising the power lines comes after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finished deepening the river for bigger cargo ships in 2022 so cargo ships would have more room in the water. The higher lines will do the same for above-water clearance for increasingly big ships that cross the ocean on their way to Jacksonville and other East Coast ports.
“Today’s milestone marks significant progress toward completing a project that will benefit Jacksonville and Florida for generations,” Green said in a statement. “By increasing the air draft at Florida’s largest container port, we’re enhancing our ability to serve larger vessels, strengthen supply chains and support thousands of jobs connected to international container trade.”
JEA is supporting JaxPort’s mission by raising the power lines and contributing $32.5 million toward the $117 million project.
JaxPort is putting up $32.5 million, the city is paying $29.5 million and a state Department of Transportation grant is covering $22.5 million of the cost.
JEA says replacing the current towers and transmission lines with new structures including lighting protection will benefit JEA customers as well.
“The upgrades strengthen our electric grid, making it more reliable for everyone,” JEA spokeswoman Karen McAllister said.
Motorists crossing the Dames Point bridge might see the Gulf Services helicopter at work when they look east from the bridge toward the Blount Island cargo terminal. Gulf Services, which specializes in construction for the electric and telecommunication industries, is a subcontractor on the JEA project for main contractor Quanta Infrastructure Solutions Group . The companies have worked together on other river-crossing projects.
JEA has used helicopters in the past after major storms to assess damage. In 2015, the utility used a helicopter to deliver a new transformer for restoring power to downtown townhomes after a section of Liberty Street collapsed into the river.
The ongoing work on the Fulton Cut power lines was designed from the start to use helicopters.
The work on putting in those lines between the new towers on opposite sides of the river will continue through September, said Darrell Hamilton, manager of transmission and substation projects for JEA.
The construction then will shift power from the current lines to the new lines while maintaining service for JEA electric customers. The transmission lines across the river are a critical link in JEA’s grid because they deliver electricity from power plants north of the river to thousands of customers south of the river.
“We’re going to go one by one and switch over, and then then all of the switching will be complete by December 2026,” Hamilton said.
He said the full electrication of all the new lines by the end of the year will be an operational milestone but work will continue until summer 2027 with demolition of the current towers.
The transmission lines are 185 feet high and they will go up to 225, which will result in 205 feet of operational clearance for ships.
“We have reached a significant milestone in this project thanks to our strong partnership with JAXPORT and the City of Jacksonville,” JEA CEO Vickie Cavey said in a statement. “The Fulton Cut Power Line Project strengthens JEA’s commitment to customers with improved reliability while we support future economic development for Northeast Florida.”
criss-crossed the St. Johns River were hovering over new transmission towers
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: JEA kicks off new phase of raising power lines over St. Johns River
Reporting by David Bauerlein, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By David Bauerlein, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union | USA TODAY Network
