About the Walker Road Upgrade

Arizona Public Services (APS) plans 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.

 

Prioritizing Reliability and Safety

This relocation decision was made in order to prioritize reliability, efficiency and safety while reducing wildfire risk. Construction is set to begin in the Spring of 2024. 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), APS will be able to maintain the line more quickly and restore power in the event of an outage.

• Enhanced reliability - By relocating the lines, APS is 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.

• 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 APS crews to access the line more quickly. 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.

• Upgraded power lines - The new lines will be equipped with reinforced wires to improve power quality as well as devices to protect birds.

• Timeline - Relocation also reduces the construction time and impacts related to work in the area.

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For questions/concerns regarding this project, please contact our APS Construction Outreach Consultant Teresa Makinen, MakPro, (602) 421-3069, apsprojects@makprosvc.com or Darla DeVille, APS Public Affairs Manager, (928) 499-9135 or Darla.Deville@aps.com. Please reference work order #WE016235.