Tennessee Valley Authority has identified a preferred route for a new transmission line that will provide a reliable source of power to the Monroe area. The preferred route begins at TVA’s Livingston-Huntsville 161-kV line and extends east, northeast to a proposed new substation in the Monroe area of Overton, County. The 5.5-mile route is expected to have the fewest overall impacts of the alternatives studied. About two miles of the route will parallel TVA’s existing Livingston-Byrdstown 69-kV line.

This length of route has been reduced by two miles from the alternative routes presented at an open house in February.

The route would affect 21 tracts of property. TVA will work with property owners to obtain 100-foot easements for construction, operation and maintenance of the line. Property owners will be compensated for the easements at fair market value and retain possession of the property.

TVA is expected to begin acquiring easements for the transmission line right-of-way during the spring of 2009. Construction is scheduled to begin during the summer of 2009.

TVA’s decision follows receipt and evaluation of public input on alternative route segments. TVA’s objective in determining a route is to select the best overall path, weighing the same environmental, land use, engineering, and cultural considerations to ensure that overall project impacts, as well as impacts to the community at large, are minimized.