The Rerouting of Utilities: High Voltage Lines and Steam/Chilled Water Pipes *Completed*

Before excavation could begin on the construction site, the high voltage lines running under the main entrance to the Medical Center from Anderson Street to the hospital had to be rerouted. Also, large steam pipes that traversed the building site in a concrete tunnel from the north to the south had to be rerouted between the existing Medical Center and the new hospital. Once the steam pipes were rerouted, the demolition of the tunnel could begin.

Before the major excavation work could begin, the Medical Center main entrance had to be closed to reroute the high voltage lines that were buried
beneath the main entrance from Anderson Street to the Medical Center.

Preparatory work of utility and high voltage line excavation must be completed before actual construction begins.

Even before all of the Medical Center parking spaces were closed to patient access, a narrow corridor paralleling Anderson Street from Barton
Road to Prospect Avenue was fenced off and trees felled to make room for the heavy equipment that would be trenching for the high voltage
conduits that would be laid.

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One clear spring day, the electric company arrived at the northwest corner of Barton Road and Anderson Street with a large aluminum power pole in tow.
A large crane soon appeared and hoisted and mounted the pole next to the existing power pole. Within a few days, a crane appeared along with linemen in three
hydraulic bucket trucks. Two men per bucket were hoisted into the air and the transfer of power lines from the old wooden pole to the newly installed steel pole
began while the crane stabilized the old pole. This process took several days.

The scope of the project as viewed from a small hill overlooking Barton Road. The top floors and roof of the Jerry L. Pettis
Memorial Medical Center are seen in the background.

The old wooden power pole was lowered onto a utility pole trailer and towed to wherever old utility poles go. Trenches were dug. Large concrete
vaults were lowered into theground and the conduits were laid in the ground.

A trench box to hold back the soil while the concrete electrical box is lowered in place.

With the electrical vault in place, the workers hook the chains to the trench box to be lifted from the hole.

Heavy equipment is used to backfill the trench and level the soil as the project moves from Barton Road toward Prospect Avenue.

A trench is dug and temporarily retained across what was the main entrance to the Medical Center.

The deep trench in which the high voltage conduit will be laid.

With the conduit in place, the trench is covered with cement.

With the north-south conduits run, the electrical crew terminates the conduits at the newly installed high voltage distribution panel.

From out of the high voltage distribution cabinet, the crew lays conduit, parallel to Prospect Avenue,
which will truncate at the Power Plant.
A white trench box, from which a ladder is sticking out, is being readied for a concrete vault.

The concrete vault is carefully lowered into place.

Electrical conduits are laid, which terminate in the high voltage underground vault.

Electrical conduits are run from the Power Plant to a newly installed concrete vault (see photo below) near the Schuman Pavillion.

On of the last electrical vaults in the series is lowered into the ground. This vault is important because of its proximity
to the new handicap parking lot,

which must be graded and paved before the new hospital entrance can open off of Prospect Avenue.

With the high voltage conduits buried deep underground, the block retaining wall complete, the curbs and gutters in,
the new lot graded,and with the concrete vault in place, center right, the new entrance, and parking lot are ready to be paved.

The newly installed high voltage outdoor switchgear cabinet and transformer sit near the corner of Anderson Street
and Prospect Avenue on the property where the recently demolished “Mary M” apartments stood.

The steam tunnel that traversed the building site (see the red barriers) must be rerouted so that excavation of the pit can begin. The pipes will be
routed to the west between the existing Medical Center and the new building.

New chilled water and steam pipes are being readied for connection to the existing underground pipes, which elbow to the right between Barton Road
and the Medical Center.

Directly down from camera number 2, located on the roof of the Medical Center, electrical pipes, and the child water and steam pipes are being laid in

The newly rerouted steam pipes connect to the pipes that lead into the Medical Center.

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

After the rerouted steam pipes are connected, the demolition of the original steam tunnel begins.

Go to the category: Conduits and Tunnels to view the steam tunnel demolition photos.

A worker stands at the lip of the south tunnel opening as work continues inside.

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The north and south tunnels will “Y” (tie) into the timber shoring (see white arrow) section at the west wall.

From behind the shoring wall timber, an underground tunnel will be built in which the pipes will be run and connect to existing pipes that lead into
the Medical Center.