Salt Lake metro system resiliency
We’re taking actions to enhance reliability and reduce the risk of equipment-related wildfires, including by replacing aging overhead power lines in areas with higher wildfire risk with fire-resistant infrastructure, such as covered conductor, and undergrounding lines in some areas.
The Capital 13 projects included replacing 46-kilovolt wooden structures with 138-kilovolt weathering steel structures. A fiber optic shield wire provides electrical protection from lightning strikes and will provide fiber-optic communication between substations, enabling electrical protection devices to operate within fractions of a second.
The Olympus 13 projects include rebuild of about 13 miles of 12-kilovolt distribution lines. This project will reduce fire risk by undergrounding nearly 10 miles of 12-kilovolt distribution lines, limiting the opportunity for lines to come in contact with vegetation and by rebuilding about 3 miles of 12-kilovolt distribution lines with covered conductor and weathering steel poles.
Project need and benefits
Due to Utah’s wildfire risk, it is necessary for aging infrastructure to be replaced and increased measures to be taken to reduce the risk of wildfire.
The Capital 13 projects are complete resulting in 1.6 miles of covered conductor and 28 pole replacements.
- In areas where higher risk was identified, extensive strengthening measures were put in place to reduce risk, including enhanced vegetation management guidelines, an increased frequency of inspections and advanced monitoring systems such as pole-mounted weather stations.
- Other strengthening measures included non-expulsion fuses, covered distribution lines, steel poles, fire-resistant pole wraps or coatings and reconstruction of parts of the line.
The Olympus 13 projects (in progress) will take over 11 miles of existing electrical distribution and rebuild it with nearly 10 miles of underground lines and over three miles of overhead tree wire (the additional line miles will be due to the underground lines following the road instead of remaining overhead in straight lines).
- Undergrounding the distribution lines will help reduce wildfire risks because they will no longer be able to come in contact with vegetation. Meanwhile, the enhancements to remaining overhead distribution lines will include tree wire, which has a protective coating that reduces deterioration and helps avoid fire ignition risk.
Local impact
The Capital 13 projects are complete and included areas of City Creek, Bonneville Shoreline Trail and Popperton Park.
The Olympus 13 projects include Lower Millcreek Canyon, East Bench, Porters Fork and Upper Millcreek Canyon. The project areas include just over eight miles of U.S. Forest Service lands, half a mile of county lands and about four and a half miles of private lands.
The Olympus 13 projects will take place in phases:
- Phase 1 – Lower Millcreek Canyon – Removal of 86 poles; installation of 4 steel poles and 2 wooden poles
- Phase 2 – East Bench – Removal of 74 poles; installation of 40 steel poles and 2 wooden poles
- Phase 3 – Porters Fork – Removal of 43 poles; installation of 38 steel poles and 3 wooden poles
- Phase 4 – Upper Millcreek Canyon – Removal of 44 poles; installation of 4 steel poles and 15 wooden poles
- The span between poles will be up to 390 feet.
- The height of the poles will range between 35 and 55 feet based on terrain and location.
Progress to date
Capital 13:
- The Capital 13 uprades are complete and in service.
Olympus 13:
- Phase 1 (Lower Millcreek Canyon) was finished in 2022.
- Phase 2 (East Bench) was finished in 2024.
- Phase 3 (Porters Fork) began in summer 2024 and is expected to be completed in summer 2026.
What's next
Olympus 13-Upper Millcreek Canyon | 2026-2027
- Work is being coordinated with the road widening project being performed by the U.S. Forest Service and Salt Lake County. This project will be completed in 2026-2027 when the road widening project is completed.