Kauno Tiltai Company is half-way through laying high voltage underground power transmission cables in Vilnius Western bypass. From the beginning of the second stage of constructing the Western bypass - L.Asanavičiūtė St. up to the future pedestrian bridge in V. Maciulevičius St. – 110 kV cables have already been laid down in a 1.5 km-long section. A section of underground cables of the very same length will be installed up to Viršuliškės transformer station. The Company plans to disassemble the over 3 km-long overhead power transmission line instead of which the underground high voltage cables are currently being laid down by November 2013, although according to the project agreement the works are to be accomplished by February 2014.
Kauno Tiltai Company is half-way through laying high voltage underground power transmission cables in Vilnius Western bypass. From the beginning of the second stage of constructing the Western bypass - L.Asanavičiūtė St. up to the future pedestrian bridge in V. Maciulevičius St. – 110 kV cables have already been laid down in a 1.5 km-long section. A section of underground cables of the very same length will be installed up to Viršuliškės transformer station. The Company plans to disassemble the over 3 km-long overhead power transmission line instead of which the underground high voltage cables are currently being laid down by November 2013, although according to the project agreement the works are to be accomplished by February 2014.
Kauno Tiltai Company commenced the works of moving out an overhead power transmission line extending in the territory of the Vilnius Western bypass together with the project partners Elektromontuotojas UAB, Axis Power UAB, Empower AB, and Energetikos Tinklų Institutas UAB in April 2012 after it had offered the best price - LTL 33.5 million (excluding the VAT) and won the tender “The replacement of 110 kV overhead power line with the underground cable (L.Asanavičiūtė St. to Ozas St.)” announced by the power transmission system operator Litgrid. “The replacement of the high voltage overhead power transmission line with the underground cable is an obligatory part of constructing the Vilnius Western bypass, as the supports holding the overhead line extend alongside the route of the Western bypass and impede to proceed with the continuation of the high speed street under the management of Kauno Tiltai Company.
According to the prepared technical blueprint, it was planned to install an underground power transmission line first, and after it is connected and put into operation, to disassemble the existing high-voltage power line. Therefore, reinforced concrete troughs for laying down underground cables were installed near the bypass by Kauno Tiltai Company. At the intersections with pipelines and access roads, the Company pulled through a 250 mm-diameter pipeline under the ground with the help of directional-boring machines.
“The works of laying down underground cables were divided into four stages. One-stage works take place for approximately 2 weeks”, told Mr. Edmundas Montvilas, head of the energy site of Kauno Tiltai Company.
Currently, the second stage of laying down underground cables has been finished, and the installation of connecting sleeves that will interconnect the cables laid down during the two stages will be shortly commenced. 12 terminal sleeves at L. Asanavičiūtė St. will be installed. 24 terminal sleeves and 36 connecting sleeves will be mounted in the whole section of the laid down underground cables that will connect the underground cables installed at different stages.
“This is the first project in the construction of high voltage power networks implemented by Kauno Tiltai. The Company has prepared for these works for several years and has specially trained specialists for this purpose. Until then, Kauno Tiltai had worked with smaller scale power projects: installed lighting systems, including their computerized control, to light streets, roads of state significance, highways, skyways, and bridges; also built power substations and erected overhead trolleybus networks.
Interesting/important figures of the project: 3,125 m –in such length section, 110 kV voltage power transmission underground cables will be laid down. 12.37 km – will be the total length of the laid down cables.20 kg – weight of 1 m of cable.250 C – is the temperature that the cable may withstand.19110 m – so much of 1,200 mm2 diameter cable with 650A conductivity (running, long-term current) will be laid down.18,765 m – so much of 1,600 mm2 diameter cable with 750A conductivity (running, long-term current) will be laid down.3,278 psc. – that many reinforced concrete troughs will be installed for laying down the cables.