As new buildings go up in the city, work is underway to make sure the lights will be on for new homes and businesses.
With space for thousands of new residents and workers about to be added to the resurging Perth City Link, one thing is certain – they will all need reliable power.
Answering the needs of the area will be new power distribution lines, running along Hay Street and Wellington Street and connecting the Cook Street substation in West Perth to the nine new development lots.
“This work is going to supply an entirely new precinct of the Perth CBD. Sitting in prime position between Yagan Square and RAC Arena, the Perth City Link development will connect the City and Northbridge, helping shoppers and workers enjoy the best of what Perth has to offer” says our Senior Community Engagement Specialist, Nic Fitzgerald.
“It’s the kind of essential underground work that people forget needs to happen to support big city-changing developments.”
The works, which are expected to take at least nine months, will see new conduit piping laid along both Hay and Wellington Streets, after which new cable can be fed through.
While careful planning will help reduce the impact on traffic and people in the area, some disruption is inevitable.
“Given the significance of the routes, we’re hoping to get in and out as quickly as possible,” says Fitzgerald.
“There are a lot of shops and businesses along Hay Street, so we spent a lot of time talking with all the stakeholders during the planning phase of the work. We gave them three options (full road closure, partial road closure or night works) and construction is now happening in the way local people wanted it.
“Businesses have been particularly happy that construction along Hay Street was timed to align with the quietest time of year in early January”
“The Wellington Street stretch is longer, with the road having two-lanes each way, so traffic management is easier, helping reduce the disruption while we are working along there.
“Of course, due to COVID-19, there has been a big drop in traffic volumes and city events, so that’s making traffic management easier and letting us get the work done with minimal impact.
“However COVID-19 or not, we are making sure the community has the ability to influence how the construction of these works plays out.
“We’ve really appreciated the community support so far - this work is important in that it will help future proof power in the city for decades to come.”
The Perth City Link construction will be completed in late 2020.
Posted 26 March 2020