New England Power to Conduct Asset Condition Refurbishment Along Right-of-Way in North Reading

New England Power has notified the Town of the following project and provided the associated description:

New England Power Company (NEP) is proposing to conduct Asset Condition Refurbishment (ACR) activities along the 339/349 Transmission Line right-of-way (ROW) between the Tewksbury #22A Sub-station (Tewksbury), and the Golden Hills Sub-station (Saugus), in Massachusetts. The 339/349 Line ROW runs for approximately 17.25 miles, transecting the Towns of Tewksbury, Andover, Wilmington, North Reading, Lynnfield, Wakefield, and Saugus, Massachusetts. This work is referred to as the 339/349 Line Asset Condition Refurbishment Project or “339/349 ACR”. The scope of the Project includes the complete refurbishment of the existing transmission line. Refurbishment activities will include structure replacements, new structure installations, overhead maintenance and repair of existing structures, replacement of overhead wires with optical groundwire (OPGW), tree removal in select areas, and access road and work envelope improvements to facilitate the work. No change in the capacity of the lines is proposed. The Project will result in a more reliable, climate-ready, and resilient transmission system, that can withstand more extreme weather events. 

In addition, NEP is proposing to realign a portion of the 339/349 Line in North Reading, Reading, and Lynnfield, in order to meet NEP’s safety standards for the required clearance between the line and the edge of the ROW. This line realignment will include tree removals to widen the ROW corridor between the existing 339 and the S145/T146 Line.

The Department of Public Works is reviewing the project more closely to determine the extent of realignment and tree removal.  More information may be found here: https://we.tl/t-qzpHbSJ9wI