The Turlock Irrigation District will slightly alter the route for a planned Hughson-Grayson high-voltage transmission line to improve operational efficiencies and reliability.

As originally planned, the 115 kV line will begin at the corner of Geer Road and East Whitmore Avenue, following Whitmore east before taking Euclid Avenue south to TID Irrigation Lateral No. 2. The poles will then follow the lateral east before taking Faith Home Road south, then meeting with TID Lateral No. 2 1/2, crossing over Highway 99, and following the Ceres Main Canal to Lateral 2 1/2 east. The transmission line would then follow the Union Pacific train tracks north to a new Grayson substation, to be constructed south of the district’s Almond Power Plant.

The revisions to the route are minor. Some specific poles, planned for one side of TID's Ceres Main Canal, will be moved to the opposing bank.

Those changes are mostly intended to increase separation to nearby residences and avoid conflicts with wells. Some power lines will use shorter, 75-foot tall poles rather than 130-foot tall, quadruple-circuit structures, which will further reduce operational challenges for the district.

The district has contacted landowners who would be affected by the pole relocations, and those landowners have expressed a willingness to work with the district as TID obtains necessary easements, the district said.

The changes were unanimously approved by the TID Board of Directors Tuesday morning, during its regularly scheduled meeting. The action allows the district to make similar minor modifications to the route within the approved corridor in the future.

To contact Alex Cantatore, e-mail acantatore@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2005.