The sights and sounds of a helicopter flying around Flagstaff’s Mount Elden have been a frequent occurrence for the last month. Those who live or work near the Flagstaff Mall were treated to the daily sights of men being transported up the mountain – hanging from a cable attached to a brightly colored helicopter. Viewers also may have seen large, steel, rust-colored power poles hanging from the helicopter and then set on the south face of the rugged mountain.
Arizona Public Service, commonly known as APS, started the “reliability project” in mid-October with a completion date of mid-December. The goal of the project is to replace the power poles and wires that supply electricity to the fire lookout and communication towers that sit atop Mt. Elden. The towers are vital for police, fire and rescue operations in Northern Arizona. These poles and lines only provide power to the towers on Mt. Elden; they do not provide electricity for homes or businesses.
The project includes the replacement of 24 wooden power poles with 19 new poles, which are larger, taller and more weather- and age-resistant. Once the 45-foot-tall poles are set, APS will replace the older power lines with new, stronger 12kV wires that are specially designed for power delivery to communication systems. The new, state-of-the-art wire is about the diameter of a finger, yet it is able to withstand wind, snow, ice and other adverse conditions.
“The power line that serves the towers on Mt. Elden is almost 40 years old,” said Rick Nicosia, APS division manager for Northeast Arizona. “The poles were getting old, weathered and needed to be replaced. The same is true for the power lines. If the lines failed because of snow or ice or a pole broke, we would not be able to provide electricity to the communication towers until repairs were made – which could take days, if not weeks, depending on the weather. Although we haven’t had any issues, we didn’t want to wait until there was a problem.”
The project planning began in 2014. Once APS determined the need for new poles and wires, they reached out to local and regional stakeholders. Representatives from APS worked with the Coconino National Forest Service and Coconino County Planning and Zoning to develop the project plan, timeline and logistics.
One of the biggest challenges? Working on Mt. Elden. The aggressive, steep and rocky icon posed significant construction challenges. In some places, the slope is nearly 45 degrees. Building roads or trails on the Flagstaff-facing side of the mountain would be nearly impossible, extremely time consuming, very costly and have a substantial impact on the environment.
The best solution: helicopters. The use of helicopters lessens the impact to the environment caused by humans and large tools and equipment; decreases overall costs; reduces travel time getting to and from the pole sites; and is a safer option than hiking the rough rocks and steep terrain.
APS contacted Wilson Electric, which is based in the Northwest and has an office in Mesa, Arizona, to assist in the operations. Wilson Electric specializes in tough-to-reach construction projects and frequently works as a contractor for utility companies across the nation.
El Nathan Ministries, Inc., located at the base of Mt. Elden, agreed to let APS and Wilson Electric set up a construction yard and staging area on their property. From the staging area, workers are air lifted, in groups of twos or threes, to and from the construction sites on the mountain.
Equipment is also delivered via helicopters. Rather than drilling or blasting large holes for the power poles to sit down into, specialized pads were developed that attach to the rock and ground. This means less trauma to the environment.
And the large power poles? They were connected to a cable and lifted to their new platforms on the mountain, where crews were waiting to bolt the poles into place before they were disconnected from the helicopter. The process was so efficient that all of the power poles were set in place in one day.
Another challenge? The weather and seasons.
“We only had a narrow window of time to do the project,” said Nicosia. “If we started too close to summer, we would be hampered by the ‘warm’ weather and monsoon rains. When it is too warm out, helicopters are not able to lift and hover safely at this altitude. If we started too close to winter, we could be grounded by snow, winds and cold. Fortunately, Mother Nature has been relatively kind to us.
“Finally, we wanted to be sensitive to the wildlife in the area. We didn’t want to disrupt habitats and mating seasons. The experts with the Coconino National Forest Service were key in helping us determine the best time for minimal wildlife disturbance.”
APS was also concerned with minimizing the impact of the project on those living near the construction zone. To inform the community about the project, APS sent letters to residents and business owners in the immediate area. The company also hosted an open house at the construction yard to allow people to ask questions and understand the project.
“We have had a great response from the community,” said Janet Dean, APS Community Affairs manager. “People have enjoyed watching workers and equipment being transported up and down the mountain, and they have been very understanding of the helicopter noise when we explain the project to them.”
Even though every effort has been made to keep the power flowing up the mountain, an extreme situation can still occur that could cause a disruption of power. If this happens, the agencies that are connected to the towers each have backup power generation until power can be restored.
“Our priority is to provide reliable electric service to our customers at all times,” said Dean. “The Mt. Elden project is just one of several infrastructure upgrades and enhancements performed each year around the state.”
In addition to the project on Mt. Elden, APS recently completed a new substation just off I-17 near Fort Tuthill County Park. The facility was built to help meet the growing needs of the new businesses and homes on the west and south side of Flagstaff.
“Substations don’t create electricity; rather, they route the power where it is needed,” explained Nicosia. “Adding another substation means we can direct the power where it is needed. This means customers are less likely to experience a large-scale power outage. If an outage does occur in an area, we will know immediately and can reroute electricity from another substation.
“We provide power to nearly 1.2 million customers in 11 of Arizona’s 15 counties. Our goal is to keep the lights on, the communication flowing and ensure a ‘bright’ future for Arizona.” FBN
For more information about the Mt. Elden project, contact Janet Dean at the Flagstaff APS office at 928-773-6416 or by email at janet.dean@aps.com. For information about APS projects, services, unplanned outages or more, visit APS.com or call 800-253-9405.
By Starla Colllins, FBN