Sign up for our free daily newsletter!
(ID 145957505 © Vladislav Astanin | Dreamstime.com)
NORTHEAST CORNER OF RED DEER

Noise, dust, and smoke possible during upcoming AltaLink construction

Sep 9, 2024 | 4:40 PM

AltaLink and ATCO’s Central East Transfer-Out (CETO) Transmission Project is approaching the first phase of construction, and residents should be prepared to see smoke, increased dust, and potential traffic delays northeast of Red Deer as the work is done.

The project involves the construction of 50 km of double circuit 240 kV transmission line from the Gaetz substation to ATCO’s service territory, and installing new equipment at the Gaetz substation.

AltaLink aims to complete half the construction activities in the first construction period, which is slated for fall 2024 to spring 2025. The second period is expected to run from fall 2025 to spring 2026.

This first period will include: structure foundation preparation and installation, which will likely require excavation; stell pole assembly and erection using cranes or helicopters; and wire stringing, which may involve cranes and pullers or tensioners.

As a result, residents near the project may see or hear:

  • Right-of-way preparation including installing approaches, fencing, gates, access trails and matting
  • Ongoing tree and vegetation clearing, including logging equipment and trucks
  • Ongoing land reclamation
  • Construction equipment including cranes, bucket trucks, conductor tensioners/pullers, bulldozers, excavators, skid steers, loaders, backhoes and gravel trucks
  • Noise and construction crews
  • Increased traffic from construction crews and material and equipment delivery

AltaLink officials say crews will verify all vegetation prior to removal, and that it will occur via cutting, hauling, chipping, mulching, and burning. They say this burning will only occur in safe conditions and follow strict safety protocols. Smoke may be visible in the area.

Construction activities may also result in increased dust levels, which AltaLink will try to mitigate through erosion and sediment control, watering access trails, and other common dust suppression methods.

To accomodate equipment and vehicles coming to and from the site, there may be periodic speed reductions and lane closures on nearby township roads and range roads, and potentially on Highway 11.

Landowners in the area have been sent an update on the project, which officials say should have arrived last week.

The entire project is planned to be completed by June 2026.

For local news delivered daily to your email inbox, subscribe for free to the rdnewsNOW newsletter by visiting rdnewsNOW.com. You can also download the rdnewsNOW mobile app on Google Play and the Apple App Store for all the latest updates on this and other stories.