Carquinez Strait Powerline Crossing
| Carquinez Strait Powerline Crossing | |
|---|---|
South tower at Crockett, California, looking over Carquinez Strait, before 1914 | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Ownership information | |
| Operator | Bay Counties Power Company |
| Construction information | |
| Decommissioned | yes |
| Technical information | |
| AC voltage | 60 kV |
Carquinez Strait Powerline Crossing was the world's first powerline crossing of a large river. It was built in 1901 for a 60 kV powerline operated by Bay Counties Power Company to deliver electric power from their Colgate powerhouse to Oakland, California. For this a crossing of Carquinez Strait was required, which has at its narrowest point at Dillon Point a width of about 2,750 feet (840 m).[1] Such a span width was impossible with wooden poles, which were common in those days. Installing an underwater cable was considered, but for reliability reasons an overhead power line was installed, which used at the north site of the river a 223-foot (68 m) tall lattice tower and at the south site one with a height of 66 feet (20 m).[2]
The project was designated as a California Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1976.[3][4]
References
- ^ Low, Geo. P. (May 1901). "The Great Carquinez Transmission Span". Electricity, Power and Gas. XI (5): 92. Retrieved February 7, 2026.
- ^ "世界最古の鉄塔 サンフランシスコ湾横断超長径間" [The world's oldest steel tower Ultra-long span across San Francisco Bay] (in Japanese). June 5, 2008. Archived from the original on June 11, 2009.
- ^ Minahen, Betty (September 17, 1976). "Noted Carquinez Power Lines Get Recognition". The Times-Herald. Vallejo, California. pp. 1, 2. Retrieved April 5, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Ivers, Jack (September 17, 1976). "Engineering feat hailed". Concord Transcript. Retrieved April 6, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. CA-191, "Carquinez Straits Transmission Span", 27 photos, 14 data pages, 2 photo caption pages