Electrical upgrades begin for Bulls and Ōhakea

The $3.5 million upgrade project is being done in three stages. Photo / Bevan Conley

Underground electrical work in the Rangitīkei is set to begin in the coming days.

The $3.5 million Powerco upgrade project will involve underground electricity cables being installed along State Highway 3 between the new Ōhakea substation, adjacent to the Air Force base, and the Bulls substation on Bridge St (State Highway 3).

The work will be carried out in stages, beginning in early March, Powerco general manager service delivery and system operations Karen Frew said.

"When completed, the upgrade will provide back-up electricity options, enabling us to restore power to customers quicker and more safely if there is a power cut," Frew said.

The first stage is some underground cabling work along SH3 between the southern side of the Rangitīkei River bridge and the Ōhakea substation on Frecklington Rd.

This will begin in March and finish around mid-May.

The second stage will be more underground cabling work from the Bulls substation on Bridge St, along Bridge St, onto Gorton St, then onto Hammond St, Holland Cres and back onto Bridge St/SH3 to the northern side of the Rangitīkei River bridge.

This is expected to begin in May and finish in September.

The final section over the Rangitīkei River bridge will begin around the middle of the year.

While the most direct route from the Ōhakea to Bulls substations is through the busy Bulls shopping centre, Powerco has chosen to move the route away from those businesses.

"We know it's been a tough time for businesses lately because of Covid restrictions. With this work, we looked for a solution without disturbing the busy central shopping area of Bulls," Frew said.

"This will mean residential streets in Bulls, as well as areas of the state highway north and south of the central shopping area, will have traffic management in place at times for us to carry out the underground work.

"I'd like to thank the local community for their patience and understanding while this essential work takes place."

No power outages are planned for customers as part of this work.