LaSalle LINK Project eyes two routes for new transmission line

LaSalle LINK Project photo – Ameren officials are currently looking into the Blue and Orange routes. Announced 8/8/22 the purple route has been eliminated due to enough feedback from residents

LASALLE – Ameren plans to have its new transmission line in service by 2025. Representatives for the LaSalle LINK Project spoke at LaSalle’s City Council meeting on Monday night to present findings from a public open house a few weeks ago. They plan to construct a new138Kv transmission line from Oglesby to Utica and wanted the community’s opinion.
Now that the study area has been identified, LINK officials say they’ve narrowed it down to two options. One route would run through Carus Chemical Company, a superfund site, and portions of Rotary Park. The other route would run through the east side of Rotary Park and LaSalle Engineer Brian Brown, says the Rotary Park route would cause some obstruction around the entranceway, especially for IDOT’s right-of-way. LINK reps say they’re willing to work with the city on route modifications and are considering even double circuiting existing transmission lines to cause fewer disruptions to land.
According to Ameren’s timeline, by next year, they plan to conduct environmental surveys, engineering, and permitting so that by 2025, they hope to wrap up construction and have the new line in service.