NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — It looked like a scene from a "Mission Impossible" movie.
Suspended on dangling ladders and repelling from a helicopter, daring crews from Duke Energy crossed the sky Wednesday in Pasco County to make crucial upgrades to transmission lines, catching the attention of folks nearby.
"We're always looking at the most cost-effective way, safest way and most efficient way to do this work. And so a helicopter is actually most efficient,” Duke Energy Florida spokesperson Audrey Stasko said.
The pilot and a team of four spent the day replacing insulators on a 5-mile stretch of transmission line, making flights back and forth, towing new and old equipment, as well as the staff.
"All of this work is to really improve the service to our customers,” Stasko explained.
New insulators will help maintain the flow of high-voltage electricity across the state and can also act as a bugger against wind and lightning strikes.
Duke says it’s the perfect example of the sometimes complex and intense work crews do to keep your lights on.
“This is just a fraction of the work you see every day from Duke Energy crews and contractors to ensure we're providing safe, reliable service to our customers,” Stasko added.
The work is expected to continue on weekdays through September and could impact travel for drivers in southern Pasco and northern Pinellas Counties.
Impacted areas could include:
- Brinley Drive – Lane closure/flagging.
- Braydon Drive – Stopped traffic for less than 5 minutes while flying over road
- Pemberton Road – Stopped traffic for less than 5 minutes while flying over road
- Seven Springs Boulevard (between Copperfield Drive and Mitchell Boulevard) – Lane closure/detour.
- Ridge Top Drive – Stopped traffic for less than 5 minutes while flying over road
- Darby's Run – Stopped traffic for less than 5 minutes while flying over road
- East Lake Drive – Stopped traffic for less than 5 minutes while flying over road
- East Lake Trail – Stopped traffic for less than 5 minutes while flying over road
- Hammock Circle – Stopped traffic for less than 5 minutes while flying over road
- North Jasmine Avenue – Stopped traffic for less than 5 minutes while flying over road