Temporary infrastructure
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bill emory
A lineman from Davis H. Elliot Electrical Contractors works to untangle a 20,000 volt distribution line on Park Street. We had a thunderstorm in Charlottesville on Sunday, August 15. Some trees dropped limbs, others snapped. How do they do it in the big leagues, like New York City? Where are their wires? In Charlottesville, I’d be surprised if we spent more than a hundred thousand dollars last year putting this infrastructure underground, less than we’d spend sending a half dozen children to school.
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Commentator Bill Emory puts up a new photo nearly every day at billemory.com/blog.
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5 comments
In the big cities the power lines are buried
If you put lines underground what do you do with the bucket trucks and their operators? Maybe they could go to the apple orchards and then we wouldnt have to "import" labor. And in the fall they could hang "Holiday" lights and remove them after the "Holiday". Take down all the traffic light cameras. Use them to fly banners at UVA football losses. Or maybe we could sell them to the Tea Party so they can watch other countries from our backyard.
Even Staunton has their downtown lines buried! Given how we value the trees around here, burying the lines is worth the $$ and the temporary inconvenience to have reliable power.
Deez storms be scarin me mane! HURRICANE COMIN!
There is a general desire among many parties to move overhead utilities underground. The reason it hasn't happened everywhere is that it is shockingly expensive. Based on rule of thumb cost estimates, the $100,000 you mention would move about two telephone poles worth of wires underground.