TEXARKANA, Texas (Aug. 14, 2020) – Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO) and its crews will soon begin rebuilding the second half of a 69-kilovolt, 11-mile transmission line in the Texarkana area.
This five-mile section stretches from the intersection of West 39th and Walnut streets in northeast Texarkana to the intersection of Summerhill Road and Clear Creek Drive. It is the third phase of a $27 million, four-phase project that will update aging infrastructure, strengthen the power grid and help reduce the number and duration of outages in the Texarkana area. Construction on this phase will start approximately on Aug. 17 and conclude in spring 2021 with the full project completed in summer 2021.
“This work will take place in a heavily traveled part of Texarkana, including part of State Line Avenue south of I-30,” said Jennifer Harland, SWEPCO External Affairs manager. “We will be working with local officials and affected businesses and other customers to coordinate construction.”
“We ask that drivers slow down and watch for crews in all of our work zones,” Harland said.“It is important that members of the public do not approach the work zone for their safety, as well as for the safety of the crews working.”
The project entails replacing 70-year-old wooden poles with new steel poles and power cable. This will not only improve the reliability of electric service in the area, it supports economic development in the Ark-La-Tex.
In addition, SWEPCO is strengthening the local power grid through other infrastructure projects, including:
- Rehabilitating a distribution power line that feeds to Washington, Arkansas. Crews are replacing utility poles, cross arms and insulators. The project will be complete by the end of the year.
- Trimming trees away from distribution power lines near the Red River Army Depot west of Texarkana in Bowie County. Crews are identifying locations where trees need to be trimmed and will begin that work soon. The project will be complete by October.
- Replacing aging equipment on a transmission line serving the Arkansas cities of DeQueen and Ashdown.
SWEPCO remains committed to working with landowners and other stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle. The company is limiting in-person interactions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it encourages the public to visit SWEPCO.com/TexarkanaAreaImprovements to view a virtual open house and submit comments.
Construction on the Texarkana Area Transmission Improvements began in 2019. Its multi-phase approach minimizes disruption to customers. Project phases include:
- Phase 1: Work began and ended in fall 2019 on a 1.5-mile-long section of line between West New Boston Road and an area slightly northwest of the Hughes Road and Arnold Lane intersection.
- Phase 2: Work is wrapping up on a three-mile section between an area just south of Arnold Lane and Gin Road south of Richmond Road.
- Phase 3: Work begins approximately on Aug. 17 to upgrade this five-mile section between the intersection of West 39th and Walnut streets and the Summerhill Road and Clear Creek Drive intersection. This phase of construction ends in spring 2021.
- Phase 4: Work begins in early 2021 and includes the final 1.5-mile section of line between an area of Clear Creek and Summerhill Road and Gin Road with construction concluding by summer 2021.
About the Southwestern Electric Power Company
SWEPCO, an American Electric Power (AEP: NYSE) company, serves more than 543,000 customers in northwest and central Louisiana, northeast Texas and the Texas Panhandle, and western Arkansas. SWEPCO’s headquarters are in Shreveport, La. News releases and other information about SWEPCO can be found at SWEPCO.com. Connect with us at Facebook.com/SWEPCO, Twitter.com/SWEPCOnews, Instagram.com/swepco, Youtube.com/SWEPCOtv, LinkedIn.com/company/swepco and SWEPCOConnections.com.