OG&E Woodward EHV to Thistle Transmission Line Project Underway

Mortenson Construction was recently selected by investor-owned utility, Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company (OG&E) to build the Woodward EHV Thistle Transmission line project. The project will start at the Woodward EHV District Substation, 12 miles south of Woodward, Oklahoma, and run to the Oklahoma/Kansas border about two miles southeast of Hardtner, Kansas.

"OG&E is pleased to have Mortenson Construction working on the Woodward to Thistle project," said Phil Crissup, vice president Utility Technical Support. "This transmission line is essential to delivering Oklahoma's wind potential and improving regional electric system capacity and reliability."
All aspects of construction are currently underway, including placement of concrete foundations, setting of transmission line structures, stringing and clipping the bundled 1590 ACSR "Lapwing" conductor and optical ground wire.

Mortenson was selected to construct 76 miles of double-circuit 345kV transmission line on steel monopoles. The Minneapolis-based construction firm will be specifically responsible for the installation of 474 pier concrete foundations ranging from 7' to 12' in diameter and 18' to 50' deep; setting 474 steel structures, and stringing the conductor along the route. Upon completion Mortenson crews will have strung approximately 5.6 million linear feet of wire.

"We're very pleased to partner with OG&E and their Construction Manager Burns & McDonnell on our first project together, said Kevin Deters, vice president and general manager of Mortenson Construction's High Voltage Transmission Group. "We're proud to support OG&E's ongoing efforts to improve the reliability of the region's current electrical infrastructure."

Construction is expected to be completed in September 2014.

About Mortenson Construction
Founded in 1954, Mortenson Construction is a U.S.-based, family-owned construction company. Ranked as the 25th largest contractor and the 10th largest provider of transmission and distribution in the United States, according to Engineering News-Record. Mortenson provides a complete range of services including planning, program management, preconstruction, general contracting, construction management, design-build, and turn-key development. Mortenson has operations in the U.S. and Canada with offices in Chicago, Denver, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Seattle and Toronto. For more information please visit www.mortenson.com.