Today, Wednesday, September 8, Seattle City Light crews will begin work to replace the tall transmission tower on the south side of the Ship Canal at Warren Avenue, between Nickerson and the Canal. Today crews will be removing a 20-foot section of steel lattice from the 190-foot tower, part of repairs that could take up to three weeks. The work will begin around 9 a.m. and is expected to take several hours. From City Light:
A 230’ crane will lift the tower and lower it to the ground for the necessary steelwork to be completed. It’s estimated the repairs will take up to three weeks and then the steel section will be re-positioned on the tower.
The high voltage lines that are held by the tower will be restrung across the Canal in the summer of 2011. These distribution lines provide additional reliability and back-up for power running from the utility’s Ballard Substation to residents in Queen Anne and Magnolia.
So in case you drive by and wonder what they’re doing way up there, now you know.