A noise sounding similar to gunshots shouldn’t alarm residents in the southeast part of Rocky View County (RVC).
AltaLink Ltd. lays claim to the loud noises as work continues on the East Calgary Transmission Project – a two-year project connecting ENMAX Power Corporation’s Shepard Energy Centre to Alberta’s electric grid. The project also involves making upgrades to transmission systems in the southeast of Calgary, bordering RVC.
Work began on Sept. 7 and will continue until the end of the month, according to the company.
AltaLink will be fusing portions of transmission line wire together in three locations:
• south of 100 Street and Glenmore Trail SE
• near the Janet Substation (Garden Road and 50 Avenue SE)
• near the Shepard Energy Centre (Venture Ave and 100 Street SE)
According to AltaLink, these connections create a flash and sound like a small explosion, similar to one created by a gunshot and can be heard up to three miles away.
“As a warning before these connections, three horn blasts will occur. We expect an average of three large boom sounds to be produced per day during typical working hours only,” said Senior Right of Way Access Coordinator Darcy Schultz in a press release.
RVC staff said local police and fire departments are aware of the construction and will be monitoring the work on the transmissions lines closely.
“The sites themselves will be cordoned off … there should be no concern for residents,” stated RVC Communications Manager Grant Kaiser in an email to Rocky View Weekly.
Construction on the East Calgary Transmission Project began in January 2013 and is expected to be completed by October 2015.
