A helicopter will be flying over Franklin as Duke Energy conducts aerial power line improvements this month.
Duke Energy Indiana will deploy a helicopter crew to complete upgrades to a high-voltage power line along U.S. 31/Morton Street in Franklin.
Work will begin July 13 on along U.S. 31 near Commerce Drive. The helicopter will travel south along the transmission line for roughly a mile toward Schoolhouse Road, at times hovering for a periods of time to perform the work. The project is scheduled to conclude by July 27, depending on the weather, according to a Duke Energy news release.
The project aims to strengthen the reliability of the local electric transmission system. Both helicopter and ground crews will replace static wire that runs along the top of the utility poles. These wires are connected to grounding conductors that together work to protect power lines from lightning during a storm, and without this equipment in place, lightning-induced voltage could build up on power line conductors and cause damage that would disrupt service to customers, Duke Energy officials said.
Aerial line work allows crews to work faster and more effectively than they would using traditional ground methods, while also limiting disruption to customers, officials said.
Duke Energy customers are not expected to experience service interruptions related to this work. Property owners along the impacted transmission line corridor have been notified by mail and by door-to-door contact, officials said.
