Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G; Newark, New Jersey, U.S.) has selected Burns & McDonnell (Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.) to serve as program manager for design and construction of a new 500-kV transmission line running from Roseland, New Jersey, to Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, and a rebuild of an existing 230-kV transmission line along the same route. In addition, Burns & McDonnell will serve as program manager for PPL Electric Utilities (Allentown, Pennsylvania) for that portion of the project that crosses into eastern Pennsylvania.

Under terms of the PSE&G contract, Burns & McDonnell will provide comprehensive program management of all engineering design, construction, procurement, geotechnical services, right-of-way acquisition, public information and outreach, and testing and commissioning services.

The Susquehanna-Roseland 230-kV/500-kV transmission line project will include construction of 46 miles (74 km) of new 500-kV transmission lines and a rebuild of an existing 230-kV transmission line. The project will follow the entire 45-mile (72-km) existing right-of-way through 15 communities in New Jersey and then will then cross into eastern Pennsylvania in territory served by PPL Electric Utilities, where it will end in Susquehanna. The project also will include new switching stations in Jefferson and East Hanover, New Jersey.

The project received preliminary approval from state regulators in March 2009. A series of public hearings will be scheduled to provide additional opportunity for public comment prior to final regulatory approvals by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, currently expected in December 2009. In addition to the BPU review process, the project will undergo environmental review by all government agencies with jurisdiction.

Project design is currently underway to determine the location and type of all new structures to be built, along with placement of access roads and other construction features. The construction phase of the project is expected to begin after final regulatory approval and will last approximately 30 months.

The project will ensure continued reliability of electrical service in northern New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania, and provide increased transmission capacity to accommodate economic growth in the region. A recent planning study revealed that 23 circuits were projected to be overloaded within 15 years if the transmission capacity for the region is not improved.