Keeping the lights on
Crews conduct maintenance on poles, rights of way
To help keep the lights on for our members, regular maintenance of the electric distribution system is vital. As part of that task, contractors for Petit Jean Electric Co-op are now inspecting poles at homes within the co-op’s Marshall District, which includes the area generally south of the Buffalo River and north of Peyton Creek between Dennard and Leslie. On the east side of U.S. 65, crews will inspect poles at Big Flat, Landis, Oxley, Cozahome, Morning Star and Zack. The largest area of the project is on the west side of U.S. 65 and includes Snowball, Witt Springs, Tilly, Canaan, Ben Hur, Pelsor, Chimes, Welcome Home, Kay, Bear Creek and Silver Hill.
The main focus of the inspection is to check for decay of the poles at or near ground level. They will also be checking the pole for internal decay, damaged or missing hardware and damage to poles from wildlife. Crews will also check for clearance issues over roads or fields where a farm implement might come in contact with lines, as well as trees that might come in contact with the power lines.
Lee Inspection and Consulting is doing the pole inspections for Petit Jean Electric.
Rights of way
Managing vegetation growth in rights of way along power lines is critical for Petit Jean Electric Co-op in its mission to provide reliable electricity to members. This summer, crews from two contractors are doing right-of-way maintenance for the co-op. They are:
- Arkansas Electric Cooperatives Inc. — A crew is re-clearing underground lines in the Fairfield Bay Area.
- Asplundh Tree Service — Crews are re-clearing the primary overhead line in the coop’s Marshall District, which includes the communities of Zack, Morning Star, Harriett, Cozahome and Big Flat. Another crew from Asplundh is re-clearing the primary overhead line in the downtown Clinton and will work north along U.S. 65 and across Arkansas 110 to the intersection with Arkansas 9 in the Shirley area. When the Asplundh crews finish with these jobs, they will begin working in the Choctaw area, re-clearing the west side of U.S. 65, south to Bee Branch and west on Arkansas 9 to the Center Ridge and Arkansas 92 W areas. This will include lines in the Choctaw, Formosa, Center Ridge, Rabbit Ridge and Bee Branch areas.
Motorists traveling in these areas are urged to be aware of the utility crews at work to avoid any accidents.
