The Linn County Conservation Board signed an easement agreement with ITC Midwest for nearly 2 miles of the Cedar Valley Trail from Robins Road to County Home Road. ITC began working in December and finished their transmission work on April 30, 2013.
Linn County Conservation staff met with ITC staff to evaluate the condition of the trail and determined the following:
The Cedar Valley Trail (from Robins Road to County Home Road) will remain closed until May 10th. During this time ITC will work on cleaning the trails and safety repairs that are necessary prior to opening.
On Friday, May 10th, the trail will open for evening and weekend use until May 24th. ITC will continue to work Monday-Friday during the day during this time to remove the old poles and finish any minor cleaning. The trail must remain closed while ITC is working for safety precautions.
The trail is expected to open for normal trail hours beginning on May 24th. Users should expect some work along the side of the trail for the next few weeks, but this work will not effect trail usage.
Due to the heavy equipment on the trail, some resurfacing work will need to be complete. This work will be scheduled for fall of 2013. Once the Linn County Conservation Department knows more information about the resurfacing, information will be made available. During the resurfacing period, the trail will be closed for a few weeks.
About ITC’s 161 kV Line Build:
•Build approximately 10 miles of 161 kV line for increased electric transmission capacity.
•The new line will feature single pole steel structures. A portion of the line will be double-circuited with an existing electric transmission line along the route.
•Construction begins in January 2013 with estimated completion in June.
•Prior to line construction, crews are completing staking and tree-trimming.
•Primary Construction Contractor: L.E. Myers
Project Need:
•This project will connect the existing Hiawatha electric substation to a new Coffey substation located near Highway 13.
•The project is needed to serve the growing energy needs in north Linn County.
•ITC is investing in the electric transmission system to improve electric reliability and capacity in the region.
