Auger Services Partners with Entergy Louisiana in Major Infrastructure Upgrades
On January 3, 2018 Entergy Louisiana began the second phase of a multimillion dollar infrastructure upgrade on the West Bank of Louisiana’s Jefferson Parish.
A team from Auger Services, a leading drilled shaft foundation company was on site with heavy equipment ready to tackle the huge task of replacing all existing wooden H-frame structures with new single pole steel structures. All existing 115-kilovolt transmission lines will also be replaced with new high-voltage wires.
The overall goal is to upgrade the power systems to improve efficiency, and to bolster new structures “to withstand winds of up to 150 mph, creating a stronger, more resilient transmission system,” according to Entergy Louisiana. This will help ensure electric and gas services to millions of Entergy’s customers be more reliable, regardless of any power outages or natural disasters that may occur in the future.
This $69 million project originates at Entergy’s state of the art Ninemile 6 Power Station located on the west bank of the Mississippi River in Westwego, Louisiana.
Over the next year, upgrades will be performed at three separate West Bank substations: Westwego, Harvey and Barataria.
PHASE ONE
The first phase of the project began in September 2017 along the Ninemile corridor, and will end at the Westwego substation. This phase is slated for completion in January 2018.
PHASE TWO
During the next several months, multiple crews will be working simultaneously on each of the designated streets, primarily from dawn to dusk, approximately 10-12 hours per day.
Specialized heavy construction equipment, including large diameter rock drillers, vibratory caissons and impact hammers will be put to work to meet the needs of the diverse terrain from swamps to hard rock areas. In addition, specialized heavy equipment maintenance crews will be on hand to monitor and maintain the equipment.
PHASE THREE
The final phase of the project, which rebuilds a portion of the transmission line through the Barataria marsh, will begin in the Fall of 2018 and be completed by Spring 2019.
When the project is completed, Louisiana’s West Bank will have a technologically advanced system with increased capacity and reliability, and Auger will have another successful project under its belt.
This isn’t the first time Auger has partnered with Entergy Louisiana. When Hurricane Katrina hit the Louisiana coast in August 2005, Auger Services, and sister company Air2, both subsidiaries of PLH Group, were summoned to restore the power in Port Fourchon, a major port that supplies our nation’s energy.
Thanks to the efforts of these two PLH Group companies, two weeks after Katrina hit, the power was restored to Port Fourchon.
Auger Services LLC, provides a full range of foundation drilling services including, transmission line construction and substation foundations in the Gulf Coast region. In addition, Auger Services performs services for industrial plants, commercial and government facilities, lift stations, cell towers and highway projects.
REFERENCES
http://neworleanscitybusiness.com/blog/2018/01/02/entergy-begins-work-on-second-phase-of-69m-west-bank-upgrade/
http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2018/01/entergys_69_million_west_bank.html
http://www.entergy-louisiana.com/
http://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/news/business/article_4ddcaa7a-f009-11e7-83ff-2f96ec3e2a5a.html
http://www.entergynewsroom.com/latest-news/entergy-louisiana-begins-phase-two-69-million-transmission-infrastructure-upgrade-west-bank-jefferson-parish/
http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2015/01/entergy_powers_up_new_650_mill.html
http://www.entergy-louisiana.com/content/docs/NM6_Fact_Sheet_062211.pdf
