The sky in Londonderry has recently been frequented by helicopters due to the construction of the Merrimack Valley Reliability Project. The project consists of a new overhead transmission line in approximately 24.5 miles of “existing utility rights-of-way,” according to the website for the project.
Eversource is constructing ten miles through Hudson and Londonderry. Over the last year, Eversource has worked throughout Londonderry to install steel structures for the project. Now that that phase is complete, the next step in the construction process is to string the electrical wire on the steel structures.
Haverfield Aviation began flying above the “power line corridor” in Hudson and Londonderry on Sept. 5, and began attaching the wires to the steel structures from a helicopter.
Eversource Siting and Construction Services Specialist Elise Ward detailed what residents of Londonderry can expect from the work in a letter dated Aug. 29.
Though a helicopter may not be the quietest piece of equipment, it reduces impacts to residents and the many sensitive conservation lands in the area.
“The helicopter allows us to complete the required work faster and more efficiently, and it means less ground disruption along the power line corridor,” she wrote.
Residents of Londonderry can expect some noise as the helicopter flies over the power line corridor. Furthermore, access to the work areas will be limited.
The helicopter landing area is at the Manchester Regional Airport, and work will take place Monday through Saturday, and Eversource expects to complete the project by mid-November. Ward advises residents to keep a look out for more information, as Eversource will provide notice of what neighborhoods will be affected and when.
“We are committed to being a good neighbor and doing our work with respect for you and your property,” she wrote in closing.
This project is also being completed in Windham and Pelham, as well as Dracut, Andover, and Tewksbury Massachusetts. It totals 24.5 miles in length, 18 of which will be completed in New Hampshire, with the remaining 6.5 miles in Massachusetts. In 2016, it was estimated that over 1,000 jobs would be created through this project.
National Grid is also participating in this project, though more on the Massachusetts side. This “joint undertaking” has resulted into a total investment of nearly $129 million to “bolster the regional infrastructure in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
To learn more about this project, or to inquire about when a particular area will be affected, call the Eversource Sitting and Construction Services Information Line at 1-888-926-5334 or email them at NHProjectsInfo@eversource.com.