Arlington power line project to affect roads

Some Arlington roads will be affected by a new 230 kV underground transmission line installed by Dominion Virginia Power.

The $85 million to $90 million project will run new line for 3.7 miles from the Ballston substation along 10 Street North, across Route 50 to a proposed substation in Radnor Heights in Fort Myer. The line will continue along Marshall Drive and south on Route 110 to another substation near the Pentagon.

Already crews are working near the intersection of U.S. Route 50 and Courthouse Boulevard, said Chris Behrens, project manager. That portion of the first phase of construction will be completed by the end of the year.

Single-lane closures between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. could begin as early as January for the 10th Street North portion and last up to 18 months, Behrens said.

More single-lane closures could occur on Marshall Drive beginning as early as March. That would be followed by another single-lane closure on Route 110 under the Route 27 bridge. These closures also will occur outside of rush hour traffic, officials said.

This line will shorten the distance for electricity to travel between substations and customers, creating more reliability, said Mark Gill, a transmission planning engineer.

The entire project should be completed and energized by May 2012.

Construction updates will be available online at www.dom.com, keyword Radnor. For more information email powerline@dom.com