Oak Ridge North

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City Infrastructure

CenterPoint Energy to Upgrade ORN Transmission Systems

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centerpointCenterPoint Energy is beginning work in Oak Ridge North that will lay the groundwork for conversion of the City’s 12KV lines to a 35KV, fully looped system. This conversion, with preliminary work beginning in August 2014, will address problems with an aging system and provide a more reliable system for today’s community. Residents and businesses in CenterPoint’s service area (south of Robinson Road) need to be aware that this construction work will impact the poles and lines on their property.

Beginning in August, CenterPoint will be in Oak Ridge North trimming trees to accommodate this upgrade. This process is likely to be extensive and impact each property in CenterPoint’s easement at some time during this phase of the project. The first construction phase will connect the lines in Oak Ridge North to CenterPoint’s system on the west side of the I-45 corridor. The west side tie-in is already constructed and ready for connection to Oak Ridge North. This aerial connection over I-45 will be located near the southern city limits on the northbound I-45 feeder at Spring Pines. CenterPoint will then replace all of its north bound line segment behind the businesses on I-45 to Robinson Road, and replace the east/west line segment behind the residences on Robinson Road to Maplewood. This power line upgrade, in 2014, will be a conversion of small wire to a larger wire, and will include replacement of all poles. Like the tree trimming, the replacement of poles and wires will impact all CenterPoint customers in Oak Ridge North at some point during the project. The first phase, tree trimming, line upgrade, pole replacement, and aerial connection over I-45, is expected to last from August 2014 to Spring 2015.

The second phase of the project, slated for spring 2015, is the upgrade to 35KV. This phase includes energizing the new lines with 35KV and creating four new tie-ins to other parts of the CenterPoint system. This will provide additional “loops” to the Oak Ridge North system from adjacent CenterPoint service areas and remove the dead end status that Oak Ridge North has experienced for several years. That means outages can be resolved more efficiently by isolating trouble areas without taking out the entire CenterPoint system in Oak Ridge North. These additional loops will also provide CenterPoint with the ability to resolve power issues remotely without the need of a repair unit on site, enhancing response time to issues such as power outages.

The conversion project has long been sought after by the City, but will come with inconveniences to CenterPoint customers as CenterPoint improves its service to our community. The City will work closely with CenterPoint to keep you informed of progress on the upgrade to the system.

Oak Ridge North Water Line Project

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The San Jacinto River Authority water line project is making its way into the Oak Ridge North area after more than a year of winding its way south from Lake Conroe through The Woodlands.

The project is a part of strategic partnerships formed between several Montgomery County entities and the SJRA to meet a 30 percent groundwater use reduction requirement from the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District.

Pipeline construction leading to road closures in The Woodlands along Grogan’s Mill Road between Research Forest Drive and South Millbend Drive has been completed, with a few exceptions, SJRA officials said.

Over the June 7 weekend, SJRA closed portions of Research Forrest Drive and Grogan’s Mill Road located near The Woodlands High School, Hailey Elementary School, Knox Junior High School, and Wilkerson Intermediate School. Groundwater Reduction Plan administrator Mark Smith estimated pipeline construction in The Woodlands should be complete by late August.

Unlike in The Woodlands, though, construction in Oak Ridge North will not lead to road closures, Smith said.

“In the Oak Ridge area, we are going to be [installing pipeline in] existing utility easements or along drainage ditches, so we are not going to close the roads,” Smith said. “Our impact is going to be much less [than in The Woodlands], and that’s a good thing.”

He said construction in Oak Ridge North should progress quicker because crews will not have to re-install pavement as they have in areas of The Woodlands.

Oak Ridge North construction has begun along utility easements and will continue until the expected completion date of March 2015, Smith said.

While the pipeline is scheduled to be installed underground, the project may affect Oak Ridge North residents as construction crews assemble the pipeline above ground, ORN Director of Public Works Joe Sherwin said.

“When they lay out even 1,000 feet of water line, they have to piece the pipe together before it goes in the hole, so they have to lay all that line out,” Sherwin said. “So if it goes over a driveway, how does that person get out? It’s a temporary thing until [workers] get the pipe pushed down in there, but some of the driveways may get blocked.”

Oak Ridge North officials said they will host a series of town hall meetings to inform residents about the construction project as it reaches their neighborhoods.

“It’s going to be in the front yard of a good number of our citizens on Maplewood Drive and again on Robinson Road,” City Manager Vicky Rudy said. “We want to keep them as informed as possible. Personally, I feel their pain in advance. It’s emotional to have that stuff in front of your house if you take pride in your home like they do in Oak Ridge North.”