Denver cone zones: Gas and power lines
| July 23, 2009 | 9:01 AM
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Xcel Energy has five major projects with a total budget of $350 million to replace natural gas lines at different spots in Denver.
“Some of these pipelines are substantially old,” Xcel spokesman Tom Henley said. “Some date back to the 1920s, and others from the 1950s.”
Xcel hopes to replace about 100 linear miles of gas lines in the metro Denver area in the next three to five years.
One of the gas line projects — 17th Avenue from York Street to Clarkson Street — was completed recently, while three others will be wrapped by the end of summer.
One is along Sixth Avenue, from Downing Street to Colorado Boulevard; another will be along 14th Avenue, between Harrison and Milwaukee streets; and the third will be along Santa Fe Drive, between Seventh and Colfax avenues.
Crews are currently doing a pothole survey in the Polo Club area to determine which gas lines need to be replaced. Pothole surveys require digging into the street to locate the lines.
The replacement work will start in a few weeks and be finished by the end of summer.
“What we will be doing with these projects is to coordinate with the city so that we will be in the streets once for the project, so there is not as much disruption with area business,” Henley said.
Xcel also is putting in a new underground transmission line from the Sandown Substation, at Quebec Street and East Smith Road, to the Leetsdale Substation, at Leetsdale Drive and Alameda Avenue.
Much of Jasmine Street is being dug up in increments of one to two blocks at a time in order to put three miles of 115-kilovolt line underground. The line will be built to 230-kilovolt standards so that its carrying capacity can be increased in the future.
The $15 million project began last fall and is scheduled for completion in November.
“This would increase capacity and voltage and bolster the entire system,” said Henley. “ It will increase reliability of the system.”
construction, electricity, infrastructure, natural gas, Xcel Energy
