THE PROJECT

Rokstad Power was awarded the second portion of the Bipole III Transmission Line Construction project. This included the construction of four segments of the transmission line (N1, N2, C1 and C2). These segments total 430 miles of new 500 kV HVDC transmission line that run from Gillam, just west of Hudson Bay to the new Riel Station on the east side of Winnipeg. The scope of work involved the building and maintenance of the right-of-way (ROW), the assembly and erection of the towers, the stringing of the optical ground wire stringing (OPGW) and the stringing of 3 bundle 1590 conductor.

Section N1

• Consisted of 142 miles and 538 towers in the northernmost section of line. This segment started at Gillam and finished SE of Thompson. There were numerous challenges involved with the construction of this segment of line starting with it being built almost entirely on permafrost and tundra. The entire line was constructed off winter roads that first had to be cleared, then packed and refrozen to support the weight of the equipment. It was not unusual for the temperatures to drop below -40F with a wind chill in the -58F. Stringing and clipping in the conductor was done with a combination of conventional equipment and a fleet of six helicopters.

Section N4

• Totaled 124 miles of line and 423 guyed towers. The land throughout this section is mainly wilderness and crown land. This section is located on the west side of Lake Winnipeg. This segment presented its own unique challenges. The ground was a combination of farmland, marsh and low laying areas that could turn to mud at the slightest rainfall. A combination of side roads, access matting and helicopters were deployed to complete this section. The scope of work for section N4 included clearing and construction access, ROW construction roads and access roads to ROW from existing roads and trails, anchor and foundation installation, tower assembly, tower erection, conductor stringing and OPGW.

Sections C1 & C2

• Totaled 155 miles of line and 554 mostly guyed and a few self­-supporting towers. The land throughout this section was a mix of woodland, wetland, pastures, crown and private. This section was located roughly between Swan River and Langruth. The conditions and challenges were similar to the N4 segment of line as well as the scope of work.