Utility poles removed from Westside

Deirdre Newman

A two-year effort to place utility lines underground on the Westside

culminated Tuesday with the steady hands of a Southern California

Edison crew and the buzz of a chainsaw.

The crew delicately removed a 50-foot utility pole on Placentia

Avenue, across from the Mesa Consolidated Water District office. The

pole is the last of about 60 that Southern California Edison either

wholly or partially owns in the 1 1/2-mile project area, which also

includes 19th Street, 20th Street and Pomona Avenue.

The goal of putting utility lines underground is to beautify the

area, something Edison Project Manager Glenn Stultz said has been

achieved.

“The rewards are here,” Stultz said. “They show greatly.”

The City Council approved the plan to place utilities underground

in this area of the Westside in November of 2000 and the process

began in August of 2002.

The three companies involved in putting their lines underground --

Edison, SBC and Comcast -- had to finish the below-ground process

before the poles could be removed so there wouldn’t be any

interruption for their customers, Jane Brown, spokeswoman for Edison

said. SBC and Comcast drew up their underground plans based on

Edison’s.

All three companies worked together on the excavating process.

Once the trenches were dug, each company was responsible for

installing its own cables and providing service.

The city coordinated the entire project.

“The city really did an outstanding job,” Brown said.

To remove the pole, the crew used a crane to get it out of the

ground and gently tipped it onto the sidewalk. Then it was cut it

into four pieces and hauled off.

To further spiff up the area, Edison placed 47 nostalgic street

lights on 19th Street. Six more will be installed after the city

finishes work on two bus turnouts.

In terms of voltage, this project was just a warm-up for Edison.

After placing its 12,000-volt lines underground, the company will

tackle 66,000-volt lines that run on 19th Street from Wallace Avenue

to Palace Street and cross over 19th Street at Monrovia Avenue,

Stultz said. That phase will start next year.