Brougham St works

6 November 2023 at 9:48 am

Cable project to increase resilience in Canterbury

 

Orion, Connetics and Isaac Construction are set to begin night works on Brougham Street in November.

The work is part of a major construction project to install a new 66kV underground power cable between the Bromley to Milton Street zone substations, a 7.5km route.

This project delivers on Orion’s continued commitment to build a resilient electricity supply for Ōtautahi Christchurch and recognises the impact another earthquake or other major natural event could have.

“One thing we hear loud and clear from our community is the importance of a strong and resilient electricity network,” says Orion General Manager Electricity Network Steve Macdonald.

“We’re not waiting for something to go wrong,this project is about being proactive with our asset management.”

The cable installation is the result of significant planning and design work. The new 66kV cable, supplied by Prysmian Group, takes around 12 months to procure and manufacture and is the largest physical cable installed by Orion on its network.

“Importantly, this cable is sized for growth. As well as resilience our customers want reliability, so we’re thinking ahead and preparing for the future to anticipate the needs of our community. As our region moves to decarbonisation the demand for electricity will continue to increase.”

While the work will be happening at night, there will be some unavoidable delays, as well as some noise and vibrations from construction equipment.

“We acknowledge roadworks are a pain and Cantabrians have had more than our fair share over the past decade. We’re working at night when traffic is lighter, to minimise disruption as much as possible,” says Steve.

“We’re extremely grateful to our local community for their patience while we carry out this essential work. We’ll be doing ongoing engagement with them to ensure they’re aware of the work programme and what impacts it may have for them.”

Traffic management will be in place at night from 6pm until 6am, seven days a week, beginning Monday 6 November until the work is completed in December.

For more information visit www.haveyoursay.oriongroup.co.nz/bromley-to-milton-cable