Growth in the North Smithfield area is placing a stress on the delivery of electrical service in the area. With the completion of the Booker Dairy Road Extension in the next few months, dozens of new homes and businesses are expected to follow.
The Smithfield Public Utilities Department has been planning for the growth and will spend $602,746.75 to design and build the final phase of the North Circuit. The Brogden Road electrical substation was built with enough capacity to carry about twice the load it now has, according to a report from Public Utilities Director Ted Credle. The Town will need the new North Circuit along the Booker Dairy Road corridor to support the anticipated growth.
Credle said the Hospital Road substation is overburdened and cannot support additional load. The North Circuit was approved by the Town Council in June 2018 as part of a 10 Year Capital Improvement Plan. Bids for construction of the first phase of the new circuit were awarded in June. Bids for the second phase was awarded in August. The Town Council awarded the low bid to Carolina Power & Signalization for the second and final phase of construction.
Electric Superintendent Rodney Johnson said the necessary equipment should arrive by Thanksgiving 2019. Once started, construction will take about 10 months to complete. Johnson said he hopes the North Circuit can be completed and in use no later than October 2020. The project will include both overhead and underground work.
Phase One will construct the circuit from the Brogden Road substation along the Brogden Road right-of-way, the Old Dupree Road right-of-way and end near I-95. Phase Two will take the circuit from near I-95 through Town to Booker Dairy Road. The circuit will serve North Smithfield homes and businesses, primarily new customers north of Booker Dairy Road towards the Selma city limits.
In a motion by Councilman Steve Rabil and seconded by Councilman David Stevens, the measure was unanimously approved.
Funding for both phases of the North Circuit is included in the 2019-2020 fiscal year budget.
