The Latest on our Carmacks-Stewart Transmission Project

It's been a while since we brought you up to date on the work being done on the Carmacks to Stewart transmission line. Crews are almost finished installing Stage 2 of the line. Valard Construction (the main line construction contractor) and Arctic Power (one of Valard’s partners) have just about completed the work of setting and framing the power poles and stringing the line between Pelly Crossing and Stewart Crossing. They expect to be finished by the end of October.

Valard, in partnership with the Northern Tutchone First Nations, is the same company that built the transmission line for Stage 1, which runs from Carmacks to Pelly Crossing. Valard has again partnered with the Northern Tutchone First Nations to complete Stage 2.

The other major part of this project involves building or modifying three substations. A new substation is needed at Stewart Crossing to join Yukon Energy’s two transmission systems (the Whitehorse-Aishihik-Faro grid and the Mayo-Dawson grid). Another substation is being built at Pelly Crossing. An existing substation at Minto Landing must be expanded to accommodate the new section of line.

Work on the substations has started and should continue until next spring.

The entire project is on budget and the line is scheduled to be operating by the beginning of May 2011. The new line will connect Yukon’s two major power grids, giving more flexibility and stability to our transmission system. Photo of crew installing crossbars: www.archbould.com.