LAWTON — Work has begun on a $23 million project by Public Service Company of Oklahoma to rebuild approximately 10 miles of aged high-voltage electric transmission line in east Lawton.
The 69-kilovolt power line stretches between a substation in east Lawton near Southeast 60th Street and East Gore Boulevard, travels west for approximately 3.5 miles, then turns north and parallels Interstate 44 before ending at a substation on Fort Sill.
The existing transmission line is “more than 60 years old,” PSO External Affairs Manager Tim Hushbeck said. “This project represents PSO’s ongoing investment in upgrading Lawton’s electric transmission system.”
The project is designed to improve the safety and reliability of the local transmission system.
Pre-construction activities started this week. The work includes right-of-way clearance and installation of gates and culverts, which will allow PSO representatives to safely access areas within the company’s easements.
“This work might involve removing fences, trees and other obstructions from the right-of-way area where necessary,” Hushbeck said.
Construction of the new transmission line will begin immediately after those activities conclude, he said.
PSO representatives expect crews to work until late spring, when they will observe a mandatory stoppage because of peak power demand in the summer months. Crews will resume work in early fall and expect to complete the project by the end of the year.
Coates Field Service Inc., serves as PSO’s right-of-way representative on the Lawton project, and Coates agents will remain in contact with landowners throughout the construction process, Hushbeck said.
PSO, a Tulsa-based subsidiary of American Electric Power, is an electric utility company serving more than 568,000 customer accounts in 232 communities in eastern and southwestern Oklahoma, including Lawton, Altus, Duncan, Cache, Elgin, Fletcher, Porter Hill, Sterling, Apache, Cement, Cyril and Frederick.