Construction work is underway near the Bena waterfront, as Dominion Virginia Power builds a new 230,000-volt electric transmission line under the York River from Hayes to Yorktown. The line will serve Gloucester and interconnect the Middle Peninsula, making electric service more redundant and reliable, said company spokesman Karl Neddenien.

Gloucester is currently served by a single long transmission line that comes out of the Harmony Village substation in Middlesex County.

Using a technique called horizontal directional drilling, Dominion crews are drilling from both sides of the York River to create a bore hole underneath the riverbed that can accommodate an eight-inch diameter pipe, said Neddenien. Temporary crane platforms have been installed in the river for the drilling project, but they will be removed upon completion. The pipe is currently being constructed in Gloucester, according to the Dominion website, and installation will begin in May.

While the pipe is being installed, crews will begin working on installing an overhead transmission line from a transition station at Gaines Point in Bena to the substation off Guinea Road in Hayes.

According to the website, construction should be completed and the new transmission line energized by the summer of 2012.

For more information, including a route map with aerial photos, visit the project website at http://www.dom.com/about/electric-transmission/hayes/index.jsp.

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