Hurricane Ike Restoration Update: Oct. 7, 2008 -- Bringing Back Bolivar

18 Mile Line Completed Quickly

One of the many casualties of Hurricane Ike was the transmission line that carried electricity from Winnie to High Island and midway across the Bolivar Peninsula. The huge storm destroyed large sections of that system and seriously damaged two of the three substations serving the peninsula.

Following the storm, Entergy Texas, Inc. committed to serving customers in those coastal communities and recently completed the first phase of a project to deliver the power that will help them rebuild their homes and their lives.

To get power to the area sooner rather than later, the decision was made to use distribution lines instead of transmission lines as an interim solution. The first phase involved building a new distribution line along Hwy. 124 from the Winnie-Stowell Substation to High Island.

Crews completed that project in about one week, quickly installing poles and 450 spans of wire on an 18 mile stretch on the east side of the highway. The new 35 kv line is strikingly straight, using new wires and green poles, a technology that lasts longer and resists moisture better than its creosote-treated predecessors. Resisting the corrosive effect of water is particularly important along coastal areas. Power was restored to High Island last Friday.

“Our goal was to do the best thing for our customers. We wanted to get the power back to High Island safely and quickly and we achieved that,” said Bobby Singletary, manager of reliability and technical services. Singletary is in charge of the coastal restoration project.

While crews were busy installing the new line to High Island, other crews were busy dismantling and hauling away the electrical equipment on the west side of the highway that was damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Ike. Any salvageable equipment will be reused.

Crossing the Intracoastal Canal

Ike did not destroy the entire transmission infrastructure along the highway to Bolivar Peninsula. Some sections remain intact. At a critical juncture, the Intracoastal Canal, two transmission towers are still standing undamaged. The towers provided the ideal way to get the new distribution service across the waterway.

Near the bridge over the canal, crews brought the line across Hwy. 124 to the west side, tied them to the towers and brought the line back to the east on the opposite side of the bridge. From there it was a clear shot down Hwy. 124 to High Island and the approach to the beach.