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Walker Road Upgrade
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About the Walker Road Upgrade
We plan to relocate 4.4 miles of 12 kilovolt (kV) line in the south Prescott Forest, west of Walker Road, to the APS right-of-way along Walker Road between Big Bug Mesa Road and Liese Drive. These lines have been providing power to the communities of Walker, Potato Patch and Lynx Lake for nearly 100 years and are nearing the end of their operational life. The new overhead power lines will be placed on 45' to 55' steel and wood poles, similar to poles that already exist along Walker Road. While construction was set to begin in 2024, due to permitting delays, construction is now expected to begin in 2026. We will continue to update this project page as we move through the permitting process and into construction.
Prioritizing Reliability and Safety
This relocation decision was made in order to prioritize reliability, efficiency and safety while reducing wildfire risk. Benefits of the relocation include:
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Quicker access - By moving the lines from their current location in a heavily forested area with severely restricted access (no access road), we will be able to maintain the line more quickly and restore power in the event of an outage.
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Enhanced reliability - By relocating the lines, we are able to access power from an additional substation. This creates redundancy or "backup", which should greatly reduce the frequency and length of unplanned outages in this area.
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Wildfire safety & mitigation - The old line will be removed from a heavily forested area with the new poles being placed on a safer open path. The new poles will also be wrapped with materials that protect them from failing or falling during a potential wildfire. Additionally, while the existing line can be deenergized in the event of an emergency, the new location will allow crews to access the line more quickly. Learn more about APS's wildfire mitigation strategy and public safety power shutoff program, which could be used in the event of extreme fire risk.
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Upgraded power lines - The new lines will be equipped with reinforced wires to improve power quality as well as devices to protect birds.
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Timeline - Relocation also reduces the construction time and impacts related to work in the area.
Community Updates
Community Letter - June 2024
Community Letter - February 2023
Community Letter - November 2022
Contact us
For questions or additional information regarding the project, please contact our Construction Outreach Consultant Teresa Makinen, MakPro, at 602-421-3069 or apsprojects@makprosvc.com or Darla DeVille, APS Public Affairs Manager, at 928-499-9135 or Darla.Deville@aps.com. Please reference work order #WE016235.
Project Hotline: 602-532-6222
FAQs
No, the siting selection process applies to overhead transmission lines of 115kV or greater, per the Arizona Corporation Commission requirements. However, APS may also elect to use this process for 69kV transmission lines. In this case, the power lines being relocated are lower voltage 12kV distribution lines.
Will APS need to acquire permits?
A portion of the proposed route along Walker Road will cross U.S. Forest Service land and may require a Federal environmental (NEPA) study that will take approximately a year to complete.
By moving the lines from their current location in a heavily forested area with severely restricted access (no access roads), we will be able to access the line more quickly and restore power more efficiently in the event of an outage. The new poles will be wrapped with materials that improve evacuation routes by helping to prevent them from failing or falling during a potential wildfire. In addition, the new power poles will be equipped with avian protection devices.
Overhead power lines are easier to inspect and maintain, and also easier to identify and repair faults, compared to underground infrastructure. The new location along Walker Road will also allow us to deenergize the line more quickly in the unfortunate event of a nearby wildfire. Visit our website to learn more about APS's wildfire mitigation strategy and public safety power shutoff program, which could be used in the event of extreme fire risk.
The planned power poles for Walker Road right-of-way are 12kV distribution lines, about 45-55 feet tall (42-49 feet above ground), about 3 to 4.5 feet in diameter at the base, with 4 APS wires. These weathered steel poles will be placed every 200 to 400 feet as the span length allows; the average span length is 262 feet between structures. The planned project will consist of 7 miles of overhead power lines on 45-to-55-foot steel poles (42 to 49 feet above ground) – similar to poles that already exist along Walker Road today.
Will these poles look similar to those along Copper Basin Road?
No, Copper Basin Road power poles accommodate 69kV transmission lines, are about 65-75 feet tall, and have about 7 wires.
Placing power lines underground is significantly more expensive than placing power lines overhead. This is due to additional required construction plus the use of special materials and conductors required for underground use. In particular, trenching or boring for the entire length of the power line can be difficult and expensive. Depending on the voltage and the location of the power line and considering the inability to be cooled by the ambient (surrounding) air as in an overhead configuration, underground power lines may require special technology to keep the wires cool. This technology may include oil or gas filled pipe type conductor, forced and refrigerated oil cooled piping and forced airflow.
Buried power lines can also extend power outages, as it may take additional time to locate a specific power issue, and take more time to access the fault and repair it. Additionally, underground systems can be prone to flooding in certain conditions.
Typically, lower voltage (distribution) lines are buried with new developments, as the additional cost to place the lines underground is passed onto home buyers or business owners by the developer through impact fees.
Why do some areas have underground power lines and others don't?
To help keep prices lower for all customers, and provide efficient access to our systems, our standard practice is overhead construction. However, there may be instances where underground installation takes place, such as through development agreements or where individual customers have paid for the lines to be placed underground through a utility facilities improvement district that is established by municipal and/or county authorities. The local municipal authority may establish an improvement district if approved by a majority of affected property owners. A district is a taxing authority, taxing affected property owners in order to raise funds for the additional cost of placing cables underground (See A.R.S. § 48-620).
Unfortunately, along with cost, there are several challenges that prevent APS from considering undergrounding in this area. There is no straight path for the new line to be installed; therefore, installation would include numerous large concrete manholes throughout the project. Because of the narrow corridor, construction would require significant, lengthy road closures, as would any maintenance where manholes would need to be accessed. Construction would be impossible to permit or execute without compromising safety and extensive tree removal.
Trenching and installing power lines underground has historically been higher in cost than installing them overhead. Construction for the underground line is estimated at $35 million; however, this is not based on engineered drawings because the terrain and route challenges are so substantial that this option was ruled out in the internal planning process. The underground estimate is over 2.5 times higher than the proposed overhead route along Walker Road, and it is not prudent or responsible to pass those costs onto all APS customers when a safe, affordable, and technically more sound option exists.
What if residents in the area would like to pay for an underground installation?
The local municipal authority may establish an Improvement District, if approved by a majority of affected property owners. The District is a taxing authority, taxing affected property owners in order to raise funds for the additional cost of placing cables underground (See A.R.S. § 48-620). Due to the timeline for this project, we are expecting to begin construction in 2026. If an Improvement District is established, APS would then need to return to relocate the lines underground.
