National Grid To Begin Salem Underground Cable Construction

Project to improve system reliability to start during the week of March 9

WALTHAM, MASS. — National Grid says construction on the long-awaited Salem Cable Project will begin in the City of Salem during the week of March 9. Approved by the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board in November 2014, the Project will improve Salem’s energy infrastructure by replacing the aging cable transmission lines that provide power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses in the region.

“The Salem Cable Project is just one element of Connect 21, National Grid’s vision to rebuild and renew our energy delivery systems to meet customer expectations in the 21st century,” said Marcy L. Reed, President of National Grid in Massachusetts. “This project, that is so important to the reliable delivery of electricity to our customers in the Salem area, is also a good example of how the company and the people of Salem have worked together to meet the challenges of a complex construction project.”

Throughout the planning phase of this project, National Grid has focused extensively on co-operation with the City of Salem. The company has launched a comprehensive outreach program centered on businesses, residents, and visitors throughout the city, with the overall goal of providing up-to-the-minute information and news regarding project work. National Grid’s Salem Cable Project Outreach Team members will be knocking on doors of Salem residents and businesses situated along the project route, and our outreach also includes a direct mail campaign and a full complement of digital outreach tools. Residents can visit our re-launched website at www.SalemCableProject.com , as well as our Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram pages.

National Grid and the Salem Cable Project Outreach Team have issued the first weekly email newsletter, which will include a two-week look-ahead for project work. The first phase of the construction will be on Hawthorne Boulevard and on the north side of the Congress Street Bridge. For more details on the upcoming project work, interested parties are encouraged to visit the project blog available on our website.

Additional details from the first edition of the two-week look-ahead are as follows:

• Starting on or around March 11, construction will begin on Hawthorne Boulevard, just north of the Derby Street intersection where contractors will be installing a large manhole. This work is projected to last for approximately two weeks, weather permitting.
• Also on or around March 11, contractors will begin installing the duct bank that will house the new underground electrical transmission cable on Congress Street, near the north side of the South River Bridge. This installation will continue northward, toward Derby Street, ending at the newly-installed manhole described above. This work is estimated to be completed in five to six weeks.
• Starting on or around March 24, construction will get underway on Washington Square South. Contractors will be installing a large manhole; like the Hawthorne Boulevard activity described above, this work is estimated to last for approximately two weeks.

A project map including the approximate location of these work sites is available on the project blog at salemcableproject.com/blog. Residents seeking information on project schedules, parking and traffic questions, or responses to any other concerns are also encouraged to call our 24-hour hotline at 1-844-SALEM-CABLE, visit www.SalemCableProject.com to log a question or comment, or reach out to Community Outreach Director Darin Swimm via email at darin@salemcableproject.com.