Crossing an International Waterway
During spring 2017, ITC and Ontario-based Hydro One began work to upgrade the communication path for approximately four miles of 230,000 volt (230 kV) and three miles of 345,000 volt (345 kV) lines connecting the St. Clair Substation in East China Township, Mich., to the Lambton Transformer Station #2 in Courtright, Ontario. The lines are being upgraded from the existing static ground wire to optical ground wire (OPGW), which combines the grounding and communication functions. In preparation for the line replacement, an ITC helicopter crew removed power line marker balls and conducted a visual inspection of the lines. Hydro One then used the existing shield wire to feed the new wire from Canada across the St. Clair River to ITC in the United States, which began the task of connecting it to the St. Clair Substation. The companies will work closely with the Canadian and U.S. Cost Guards to ensure minimal disruption to shipping traffic and recreational vessels. The project, which will improve the monitoring and operation of the Lambton – St. Clair line, was completed in fall 2017.

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