Construction Ahead!

By Brian Brock

The rural landscape of Franklin could soon be crisscrossed with construction zones for several major infrastructure projects.

• The Constitution Pipeline would create a work corridor 100 to 125 feet wide, running 9.4 miles along the northwest border of our town from Sidney to Davenport. For this natural gas transmission line, the revised plan is to start construction in the fall of 2014 – nine months later than originally planned. Williams Partners LLC now plans for fall/winter construction, to be completed by March of 2015, and for gas to be flowing shortly thereafter.
• A rumored electrical transmission line would create a 9.7 mile work corridor in Franklin, alongside the Marcy South power line, to replace the supply lost from the closing of the Indian Point nuclear power plant, which supplies the downstate metro area.As interstate utility projects, these two could use eminent domain to take easements rights from land owners.

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  The Leatherstocking Gas Company LLC distribution line would tap into the Constitution Pipeline near the top of the Otego Road, and run 4.6 or 9.9 miles through Franklin on route to Delhi, then west on Route 10 to Fraser. At the tap in Franklin, Constitution would supply the tee, shut-off valve, and blow-off valve while Leatherstockng would build facilities for metering, reducing pressure, and odorizing. Initial users of gas would be commercial and institutional. Construction would not begin until the Constitution Project was completed.

• Horizon Wind Energy’s planned 50 MW Franklin Wind Farm sites 16 turbines on roughly 5,000 to 7,000 acres in the hills along the divide between drainage basins of the Delaware and Susquehanna rivers in western Franklin. This project is at least three to five years in the future.
• Reconstruction of the intersection of routes 28 and 357 in north Franklin would be the smallest of these future infrastructure project. This would affect the only two NYS DOT routes through Franklin. Construction is scheduled to begin in spring of 2015.
• Replacement of water mains and hydrants in the Village of Franklin should be wrapped up by late spring of this year.