Power lines being moved underground on Pioneer Trail, expect some delays

Work along Pioneer Trail will continue through mid-October to move power lines underground from Black Bart Court to just south of Golden Bear Trail.

A contractor for Liberty Utilities has already started on the project which could result in traffic delays.

Approximately 5,800 feet of overhead power lines (as well as communication lines owned by AT&T and Charter Communications) are being relocated underground. The work is expected to continue through mid-October this year, and will be completed next year during the allowed construction time period of May-October.

“This is a big project that will improve views along that major road,” explained Jeff Matthews, Liberty’s Manager of Engineering and Planning.

Liberty worked closely with NCE, a local firm specializing in environmental engineering in the Lake Tahoe area, to develop the design and obtain the required permits for the project.

The project is made possible through Rule 20.A, a program first implemented by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in 1967. Under Rule 20.A, the Commission requires an electric utility to provide undergrounding allocations each year for converting overhead power lines to underground power lines. El Dorado County, working with the utilities, identified areas to underground and created an “Undergrounding Utility District.” Eligible areas eliminate unusually heavy concentrations of overhead lines, involve a street or road with a high volume of public traffic, benefit a civic or public recreation area or area of unusual scenic interest or are listed as an arterial street or major collector.