ComEd announced reliability enhancements in Northfield

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Updated: February 20, 2012 8:42AM

Northfield residents can expect to see increased tree trimming and other work over the next several months, as part of an ongoing effort to improve reliability of electricity, a release from the Village of Northfield stated Monday.

“As a part of ComEd’s ongoing investment in its electric system, and in partnership with the Village of Northfield, the company is completing work on a number of projects, including underground cable replacement, aimed at enhancing service reliability for Northfield customers by reducing the frequency and duration of outages,” the release stated.

“On the east side of town, ComEd will replace the underground cable behind Lagoon Lane near East Frontage Road to help improve system performance in the area. The first phase of this cable was completed in December of 2011 and the second phase is expected to be done by the end of May.

Throughout town, ComEd will be trimming trees near electric lines to reduce outages and enhance reliability. Com Ed will be trimming trees on several streets including: Wagner Road, Graemere Street, Dorina Drive, Happ Road, Latrobe Avenue, Lockwood Avenue, Martin Lane, Meadowbrook Drive, Mount Pleasant Street, Pine St. Southgate Avenue, Summerfield Road, Sunset Ridge, Willow Road, Woodland Lane, Linden, Becker, Huckleberry, Woodlawn, and Valleyview Road.

On the west side of town, ComEd will install overhead Hendrix spacer cable. This is a fairly new devise which helps protect lines from damage caused by falling limbs. In areas where it has been tested, the system has dramatically reduced the number of customer service interruptions by reinforcing overhead electrical wires. The Hendrix cable system will be installed in the north south utility easement between Wagner Road and Graemere Street running from Bosworth Lane to about 1,200 feet south. This project is expected to be complete by the end of March 2012.

Finally, ComEd will be installing a number of smart fuse devises throughout the system. This new technology allows the system to automatically reset, which improves performance and reduces the length and quantity of outages. This work is expected to be completed by the end of March 2012.”

“Residents and businesses will be notified via a letter or phone call prior to any ComEd work that requires a scheduled electric outage. Additionally, residents will receive a “door hanger” card that will notify them of enhanced tree trimming work in their area.

These planned investments should help ComEd significantly reduce outages and help save customers money. “

For more information, please visit www.ComEd.com.