Excavator Shovel Up In Air Hits Utility Pole Wire

A construction worker in an excavator apparently had his shovel up in the air yesterday when it accidentally came down on a guy-wire, cutting it and causing the top of major utility pole to split in half. (The dangling wire in the photo is believed to be the guy-wire.) 

As a result, 4,100 Eversource customers were without power for about six hours on a very hot day. Power was restored after Eversource quickly sent crews to the site to put up a new pole, which was up and running by 8 p.m.

Power went down in various sections of town, along Kirkham and Maple Streets and in the Short Beach area, West Main Street, and adjacent neighborhoods on one of the hottest days of the year. About 25 percent of all Eversource customers in Branford were hit by the power outage.

Kenneth P. Hunt, project manager for the Rizzo Company, the major contractor for the railroad project, said a sub-contractor for the company was placing backfill for a new retaining wall at the Kirkham Street side when he hit the line. He did not identify the sub-contractor.

“The guy-lines are in the same area where he was working. No injuries were reported,” Hunt told the Eagle. A guy-wire or guy-line is a tensioned cable designed to add stability to a freestanding structure such as a utility pole.

The construction worker for the sub-contractor is part of a crew now working on a new northbound platform at the town’s train station. The project has been underway for about a year and comes under the jurisdiction of the state Department of Transportation (DOT.)

When the top of the utility pole snapped off, construction workers heard the noise and saw the sparks and then rushed to alert drivers to get off the road, according to one driver who contacted the Eagle.

One of the dangers was that the pole or parts of it might have hit a passing vehicle on this often-crowded bridge. The accident occurred near the intersection of Kirkham and Maple Streets on a heavily travelled road. 

Which Way Did The Shovel Face?

While the construction worker was working in an excavator usually used to dig below ground, he was not digging below ground at the time of the accident. His shovel was up in the air and came down on the guy wire, which is probably two-thirds or more up the pole, according to an official with knowledge of the event who asked not to be identified. 

Whether the shovel was up in the air or down in the ground makes a big difference.

Contractors who are going to dig below ground are required by the state to contact ​“Call Before You Dig” at least two working days before starting the job. ​“Call Before You Dig” marks where the underground utility lines are.

But since this shovel was up in the air, not down in the ground and since it hit an outside utility pole, the sub-contractor and the Rizzo Company appear not to have violated state law.

Hunt told the Eagle that the accident occurred at about 2:05 p.m. when the guy-wire for a power pole on Kirkham Street ​“was hit by a contractor working on the Branford train station. The top of the power pole snapped off and was suspended above the power lines.” 

Reed’s Observations

It turns out this was the worst pole to hit because it was designed to carry two major circuits on the same pole.

State Rep. Lonnie Reed, chair of the Energy and Technology Committee, was in touch with officials at Eversource. She said she was concerned that two major circuits were running on the same pole.

“This has become of interest for the next legislative session,” she told the Eagle. ​“This is a logistical decision that needs to be revisited.”

Police closed Kirkham Street from Main Street to the intersection of Maple Street and Indian Neck Avenue while repairs were underway.

A cooling center for the public was established at the Branford Community Center, 46 Church St., during the afternoon and evening.

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