Construction crews used a specialized helicopter to install power line infrastructure in the Carstairs-Didsbury-Olds area last week, all part of the massive Western Alberta Transmission line project.
The helicopter was used to lower steel structures onto foundations along the north-south line east of Highway 766.
The work is part of a two-year project ñ approved by the Alberta Utilities Commission in Dec. 2012 ñ that will see a 350-kilometre 500 kV line built between the Genesee area west of Edmonton to the Langdon area east of Calgary.
AltaLink, the company conducting the project, says once completed in 2015 the new line will "improve the reliability and efficiency of the interconnected electric system and ensure Albertans have access to the lower-priced power,î said spokesperson Amber Kalyn.
As part of the transmission line infrastructure installation, crews will be stringing wire between the towers, a process that will involve the use of implosions, which will emit loud explosive sounds.
The implosions do not pose a safety risk to surrounding residences, she said.
Anyone with concerns or questions about the line construction in the district can call the company at 1-877-267-5973.
