Crany Road 138KV Transmission Line Project

Location: West Virginia

Areas of Expertise: Transmission

Hooper’s Electric Power Division recently worked with American Electric Power (AEP) on a project in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia. The Crany Road 138kV Transmission Line project provided improvements to the power grid and better electric reliability for customers in the region.

The project involved replacing aging equipment (some from the 1920’s), pouring new concrete pier foundations, and installing double circuit steel lattice towers. In total, Hooper crews built six lattice steel towers, one custom steel structure, and completed 1.2 miles of transmission line work. The terrain presented many challenges for our crews. Not only did they maneuver large pieces of equipment in the steep and heavily wooded environment, but they also had to watch out for local wildlife including rattlesnakes and black bears, which were present and seen by some crew members.

To overcome some of the obstacles of the remote location, a helicopter was utilized to fly rope, install marker balls, and remove portions of the old wood structures on the Bolt Tap Line. The newly installed conductor was 795 ACSR 26/7 (Drake), with two statics: 0.646” OPGW and 7 #8 alumoweld for the challenging environment.