Longboat Key undergrounding project: Crews begin removal of light poles
Crews have started removing light poles from the Country Club Shores neighborhood.
By
Mark Bergin
| 2:47 p.m. July 26, 2021
Longboat Key
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Longboat Key has started to remove overhead light poles in the Country Club Shores neighborhood as part of its townwide project to bury utilities on the island.
The work marks the last portion of phase one of the project, which extends from the southern tip of the island north through the County Club Shores neighborhood.
“I do my own celebrations privately, but this is a significant moment because this is really what we’ve really been looking for,” Public Works Project Manager James Linkogle said.
Town Manager Tom Harmer mentioned how Florida Power & Light Co. is responsible for the pole removal process.
“It is not something that we control, so that’s why we’re excited to see it happening,” Harmer said.
Last week, FPL had subcontractors Volt Power Co. and Southeastern Traffic Supply work to remove light poles along streets in the Country Club Shores neighborhood. It included Putting Green Lane and Birdie Lane.
“I kind of had one of those hallelujah moments,” Linkogle said.
Linkogle said the crews will continue removing poles from the side streets out to Gulf of Mexico Drive.
“When you see those poles comes down, that’s a real significant milestone because then as you’re entering on the island, you’ll no longer see aerial facilities throughout that section,” Linkogle said.
The process includes the town getting its underground infrastructure in place, turning over the as-built drawings, getting them approved, initiating and completing the switch-orders and getting conversions done. Then, the town has FPL and its subcontractors strip wires off the poles and salvage them before removing the poles.
“It’s exciting to see that phase of it,” Harmer said. “Really, when the poles start to be removed, you can really see what that final product looks like when (there are) no aerial utilities in the neighborhood, and so it is one of the big final steps in closing out phase one.”
Linkogle said town staff has heard positive feedback from residents.
“They’re just really glad to see it,” Linkogle said. “Their ultimate goal is to see all these lines down as well.”
As of July 23, Linkogle said crews have converted 92% of the homes in phase one of the project.
Phase two continues from the northern tip of the island to Dream Island Road.
“We’re working through the neighborhood sections of remaining areas of phase two, and then we’ll continue to pull wires, set equipment and work toward getting the initial switch order established for phase two,” Linkogle said.
Phase three work goes from Country Club Shores to the county line.
“We’re also progressing north in the FDOT right-of-way in phase three,” Linkogle said. “I would say by the end of this month or next month, we should be (near) the county line with the main feeder conduits in the Gulf of Mexico corridor in phase three, and there’s not a lot of neighborhoods in the phase three section.”
Phase four goes from Dream Island Road south to the county line.
Linkogle said the town will save $1.8 million in phase four of the project. The savings come from a formula FPL established with the Public Service Commission for undergrounding work.
“When you work through that whole formula for the benefit of the end users … basically, they give you a contribution of 25% of the differential value as a credit, if you will,” Linkogle said. “That’s where we have those savings, as well as the fact that by the town performing the work versus FPL, we have some built-in savings that we can conduct it more efficiently and more competitively.”
According to Linkogle, Longboat Key has its documentation signed to initiate phase four of the project, which the town plans to start later this summer.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. workers removed several light poles along Birdie Lane.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. foreman Jimmy Sasser helped crews load a wooden light pole onto a truck.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. lineman Heston Braddock worked to remove a light pole from Birdie Lane.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. lineman Heston Braddock worked to remove a light pole from Birdie Lane.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. foreman Jimmy Sasser shows where workers removed a wooden light pole on Birdie Lane.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. workers removed several wooden light poles on Birdie Lane.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. lineman Heston Braddock worked to remove a light pole from Birdie Lane.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. foreman Jimmy Sasser shows the weathering the copper wires endured on the wooden light poles that workers removed along Birdie Lane.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. foreman Jimmy Sasser shows the weathering the copper wires endured on the wooden light poles that workers removed along Birdie Lane.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. groundsman Jared Truxillo looked on as workers removed a light pole from Birdie Lane.
Volt Power Co. groundsman Jared Truxillo instructed Southeastern Traffic Supply workers Xavier Wilson and Andrew Windsor on July 22.
Southeastern Traffic Supply worker Xavier Wilson helped put up signage on July 22 for crews to remove poles on Birdie Lane.
On July 22, Volt Power Co.'s Heston Braddock and Jared Truxillo work to remove a light pole from Birdie Lane.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. lineman Heston Braddock worked to remove a light pole from Birdie Lane.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. crews worked to remove light poles from Birdie Lane. Groudman Jared Truxillo is pictured here at the base of the wooden pole.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. lineman Heston Braddock worked to remove a light pole from Birdie Lane.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. workers removed several light poles along Birdie Lane.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. workers removed several light poles along Birdie Lane.
On July 19, crews worked to remove light poles on Putting Green Lane. Photo provided by the town of Longboat Key.
On July 19, crews worked to remove light poles on Putting Green Lane. Photo provided by the town of Longboat Key.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. crews worked to remove light poles from Birdie Lane. Groudman Jared Truxillo is pictured here at the base of the wooden pole.
On July 19, crews worked to remove light poles on Putting Green Lane. Photo provided by the town of Longboat Key.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. lineman Heston Braddock worked to remove a light pole from Birdie Lane.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. crews worked to remove light poles from Birdie Lane. Groudman Jared Truxillo is pictured here at the base of the wooden pole.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. crews worked to remove light poles from Birdie Lane. Groudman Jared Truxillo is pictured here at the base of the wooden pole.
On July 22, Volt Power Co.'s Heston Braddock and Jared Truxillo work to remove a light pole from Birdie Lane.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. workers removed several light poles along Birdie Lane.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. workers removed several light poles along Birdie Lane.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. workers removed several light poles along Birdie Lane.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. foreman Jimmy Sasser shows the weathering the copper wires endured on the wooden light poles that workers removed along Birdie Lane.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. workers removed several light poles along Birdie Lane.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. workers removed several light poles along Birdie Lane.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. workers removed several light poles along Birdie Lane.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. workers removed several light poles along Birdie Lane.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. workers removed several light poles along Birdie Lane.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. workers removed several light poles along Birdie Lane.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. foreman Jimmy Sasser helped crews load a wooden light pole onto a truck.
On July 22, Volt Power Co. foreman Jimmy Sasser, lineman Grayson Braddock and groundsman Jared Truxillo helped load a wooden light pole onto a truck.
Public Works Project Manager James Linkogle has helped oversee the town of Longboat Key's undergrounding project.
