There were whispers it could not be done. But PJM Interconnection recently commended FirstEnergy for energizing the Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line (TrAIL) in May 2011 with nearly two weeks to spare before the required June 1 in-service date.

The completion of TrAIL in just five short years proved a remarkable, if unprecedented, industry feat. TrAIL's success was a product of careful planning, exceptional teamwork and constant attention to project management. More than 4,000 people had a hand in the construction of this major 500-kV transmission backbone upgrade.

The 151-mile (243-km) line spans Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia, crossing a nearly impassable rugged landscape. TrAIL required a new 500-kV switchyard and the expansion of an existing 500-kV substation. Then there were more than 250 miles (402 km) of new access roads, more than 170 planned outages, and 500-plus environmental and nonenvironmental permits. Placing TrAIL in-service ahead of schedule was the culmination of years of hard work by an unflinching team dedicated to meeting deadlines and focused on working safely.

Reliability, Reliability, Reliability

The TrAIL project began in 2006 when PJM, the regional transmission organization managing the Mid-Atlantic electric grid, identified potential reliability issues and the need for an extra-high-voltage (EHV) transmission line to ensure uninterrupted service for Washington D.C., Baltimore and northern Virginia. Studies showing potential issues prompted PJM to direct Allegheny Energy — which has since merged with the FirstEnergy family of companies in February 2011 — to develop a feasible route and build an EHV transmission line to improve reliability.

Industry experts have agreed enhancements to the transmission grid are necessary to avoid reliability issues. FirstEnergy takes seriously its responsibility to deliver a reliable flow of power to customers, and infrastructure additions, such as TrAIL, are part of this obligation. TrAIL provides much-needed upgrades to the Mid-Atlantic regional transmission system.

Getting to Work

To build TrAIL, the former Allegheny Energy established the Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line Co. (TrAILCo) subsidiary, whose first task was to spearhead the drive to explain the need for the line and determine an appropriate route for the line. The utility's siting and permitting teams solicited public opinion during routing studies at open houses attended by more than 2,200 people. The project team also worked closely with landowners, neighboring residents, business owners and regulators to balance all interests and minimize environmental and land-use impacts.

To meet an extremely aggressive project schedule, TrAILCo immediately set to work in 2006 developing the plan and preparing the necessary submittals required for approval and permitting of the line and a new substation switchyard. In early 2007, TrAILCo's legal team submitted requests for certificates of public convenience and necessity for authorization from state utility commissions in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia. Utility executives, senior engineers and other experts testified at numerous public hearings, justifying the need for the project, explaining how and why the proposed route was selected, and detailing how the line would be constructed and operated.

Assembling the Team

While pursuing the line siting and state approval process, TrAILCo embarked on a search for a strong partner to work with its dedicated, full-time internal project staff to focus on right-of-way (ROW) acquisition, permitting, engineering, procurement and construction of the project. It needed a construction management company with experience in large-scale transmission projects and an unbending focus on safety. TrAILCo found that partner in Kenny Construction Co. (KCC). Initial kickoff meetings in early 2007 determined the project execution plan, outlined processes and procedures, and introduced standards and practices critical to managing a project this size. Throughout the project duration, TrAILCo and KCC worked in tight coordination on all aspects of the project. This alliance relationship was one of the keys to project success.

Given the vast number and wide array of obstacles to traverse — and the magnitude of risk inherent with large-scale construction projects — safety was the paramount concern. The project required more than 170 outages to cross three existing 500-kV transmission lines, four interstate highways, two navigable waterways, and numerous roads and railways.

In some sections requiring foundation installation beneath existing transmission lines, crews used multiple daily outages. These crossings and outages added to the already daunting safety challenges presented by the rough terrain and extreme weather conditions prevalent in the project area.

To combat and overcome hazards, the project team used daily job hazard assessments, subcontractor safe-work plans, safety audits and careful work planning. Every employee underwent safety training before working on the project, and every supervisor was held accountable for the actions of their crews. The focus on safety resulted in a recordable incident rate of less than half the industry average for similar projects.

Materials, Subcontracting and Permitting

Due to long lead times and large quantities of materials necessary — steel for lattice towers and tubular structures, conductor, shield and fiber-optic ground wire, insulators, hardware and major substation equipment — the procurement team sent out requests for proposals to a long list of suppliers starting in spring 2007. The challenge was finding suppliers that had the capacity to deliver the quantities needed within the required time line.

The TrAILCo-KCC team evaluated each bid, which included an assessment of the bidder's ability to meet project safety standards, product quality requirements and schedule. More than US$160 million of material was ordered, inventoried, quality checked, put into kits and sent out to crews in the field in time to meet the construction schedule.

Because of the amount and complexity of work required, the team subcontracted surveying, geotechnical analyses and engineering for both the substation and transmission line work to multiple engineering firms. The work scope, coupled with the critical construction time line, demanded a streamlined-but-meticulous review process with continuous coordination and communication between TrAILCo, KCC and subcontractors. Many subcontractors dedicated resources from multiple office locations and assigned key employees to KCC project offices. On-site engineers and surveyors supervised geotechnical core boring, ground surveying, aerial light detection and ranging (LiDAR) surveys, foundation design and permitting studies.

Obtaining more than 500 environmental and nonenvironmental permits from local, state and federal agencies was also a team effort. Endangered plant and species studies were conducted throughout the project area, including assessments of running buffalo clover, Indiana bats, Cheat Mountain salamanders and flying squirrels. The team also performed the work needed for permits from state environmental agencies, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and state historical preservation offices.

TrAILCo and KCC managed a substantial project budget and a detailed schedule with more than 12,000 activities. To keep the project on schedule and on budget, the team developed extensive construction metrics and met regularly to review actual progress against projections. Another key to success was the team's ability to identify issues, quickly determine their impact to the overall schedule and remain nimble enough to adjust plans as necessary.

Stations, Roads and Foundations

The two substations associated with TrAIL — the new 502 Junction Substation, located near Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania, and the existing Meadow Brook Substation, near Stephens City, Virginia — were large construction projects in their own right. The 502 Junction site was selected because of the proximity of an existing 500-kV line tap. Crews worked 24 hours a day for four months moving 2.5 million cu yd (1.9 million cu m) of earth to prepare the 28-acre (11-hectare) site. Crews also expanded the existing Meadow Brook Substation to accommodate two new 500-kV bays and a capacitor bank.

Clearing for access roads and ROW was performed to minimize the impact to landowners, properties and view sheds while adhering to National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) and other engineering and operational requirements. Selective clearing for ROW was applied where possible to allow for specified plant and tree species to remain.

In addition to the ROW, clearing for construction and maintenance of more than 250 miles of access roads was required because of the mountainous terrain. Road builders worked with property owners to locate the roads and took into consideration access to public roads necessary for road entrances. The utility's external affairs team worked closely with local and state highway departments to select public roads where road damage and public inconvenience could be minimized.

Crews poured more than 50,000 cu yd (38,228 cu m) of concrete for substation and transmission line structure foundations. Foundation crews braved winter storms to stay ahead of structure-erection crews and help the project adhere to an unforgiving schedule. Mobile concrete batch plants and special admixtures were used to get the concrete to remote structure locations, often during harsh winter conditions. The line crossed numerous geologic zones, with geotechnical survey crews taking core borings every half mile (kilometer) or so. TrAIL traversed areas that had been previously mined, which required the installation of individually engineered deep or mat foundations to compensate for the site-specific geotechnical conditions.

Line Build and Stringing

Structure erection began in June 2009, with all 661 structures completed and standing just 18 months later. Crews worked six days a week to maintain the rigorous pace necessary to meet the June 2011 in-service deadline. To improve efficiency, the top section, or bridge, of each lattice tower was assembled off-site at small material staging yards along the line. The assembled sections were then trucked to their proper locations for final assembly. Tubular steel structures were delivered directly to the ROW whenever possible. Tubular steel sections of the line included about 25 miles (40 km) of double or triple circuit, requiring much more extensive work and planning due to outage-constrained construction windows.

By October 2009, enough structures were in the air to allow wire-stringing crews to begin pulling conductor. All pulling, clipping and sagging activities were completed by February 2011. Crews used helicopters to string the sock line along the entire project, and in most cases, helicopters aided insulator installation. A radio repeater system was installed to allow for uninhibited communication across the many miles separating stringing crews. This system provided end-to-end communications linking every member of every crew.

No More Whispers of Doubt

The final testing and commissioning of the TrAIL project required coordination with adjacent utilities and occurred in three segments separated by substations along the length of the line. The easternmost segment of the TrAIL project was energized and tested in April 2011, followed by the central and western segments in May 2011. The final segment of the line was placed in service on May 19 under the coordination of PJM. This final step culminated five years of exceptional effort by a talented team comprised of FirstEnergy, KCC and numerous subcontractors and material vendors.

The line is standing and energized, and the whispers of doubt have given way to shouts of, “TrAIL! We did it!”

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Holly C. Kauffman (hkauffm@firstenergycorp.com) is director of EHV projects for FirstEnergy and headed the TrAIL project. She has held various management positions over a 27-year electric utility career, including responsibility for operations in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia. Kauffman holds a master's degree in industrial engineering from the University of Pittsburgh, an MBA degree from Duquesne University, a bachelor's degree in computer science from Pennsylvania State University and a Six Sigma Green Belt. Kauffman was an IEEE chapter chairperson and a speaker at industry events.

Karl D. Miller (kmiller@kennyconstruction.com) has been executive manager of Kenny Construction's power division since its inception in 2000. He has more than 28 years of industry experience with positions including field engineer, lead startup engineer, engineering manager, operations manager and executive manager for various projects. Miller holds a BSME degree from Kansas State University, is a licensed professional engineer in six states, and is a member of IEEE and Vistage. He is also a judge for the ACEC Project Excellence competition.

Ryan S. Townsend (rtownsend@kennyconstruction.com) has worked as a project engineer and project administrator and is responsible for closeout on the TrAIL project. Townsend holds a BSCE degree from the U.S. Military Academy and a MSCE degree from the University of Washington. He is a professional engineer in the state of West Virginia and a member of ASCE and IEEE.

Companies mentioned:

FirstEnergy www.firstenergycorp.com

Kenny Construction Co. www.kennyconstruction.com

PJM www.pjm.com

TrAILCo www.aptrailinfo.com