CX-020092: Sterling-Sidney 115-kV Transmission Line Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) Installation

Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), Rocky Mountain Region (RMR), proposes to install new optical ground wire (OPGW) on WAPA’s existing SterlingSidney (STG-SD) 115-kV Transmission Line. The OPGW would be installed on the entire 39-mile Transmission Line, between the Sidney (SD) Substation in Cheyenne County, Nebraska, and the Sterling (STG) Substation in Logan County, Colorado. Installation of the new OPGW would include removal of the existing overhead ground wire (OGW) on the east side of the transmission structures, installation of the new OPGW on the east side of the transmission structures, termination and splicing of the OPGW at regular intervals along the transmission line, and testing of the OPGW. The new OPGW would not be visibly different from the existing OGW. The project would also include installation of high density polyethylene (HDPE) conduit and fiber optic cable at the SD, STG, and Peetz (PZ) Substations, and replacement of vibration dampers and miscellaneous transmission line hardware on the existing transmission line structures. This project is part of WAPA’s ongoing program to update and improve its communication system. Work would be restricted to the existing STG-SD right-of-way (ROW) and no roadwork would occur. All or part of this work may be performed by a Contractor.