EAST ST. LOUIS – Ameren Illinois is constructing a new substation and upgrading structures to enhance energy reliability for customers in East St. Louis and surrounding communities.
The substation will replace the existing Ridge Substation at 20th Street and Martin Luther King Drive. The existing substation sits on 2.3 acres of land. Ameren Illinois purchased an adjacent 2.7 acres to expand the site for new substation. The company is also upgrading power lines and power poles leading into and out of the substation. The new power lines will create alternate pathways with other substations to re-route and deliver power if an outage occurs.
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When completed by November, the new $14.5 million Ridge Substation and structures will provide added resiliency and enhanced power service to 30,000 customers in the area. Temporary road or lane closures may be required for 20th Street between Martin Luther King Drive and Ridge Avenue.
As work is taking place, Ameren Illinois reminds motorists to slow down in the work zone and be mindful of utility work.
"This project is another key step in our long-range plans to construct a more robust electric grid to meet our customers growing needs,” said Jason Klein, Electric Operations Director for Ameren Illinois. “We're excited to bring these enhancements to our customers in East St. Louis and surrounding communities."
The Ridge Substation is the third major investment Ameren Illinois has made in East St. Louis in the last four years. In 2016, the company completed construction of the Katherine Dunham Substation at the intersection of Cleveland and 27th Street to strengthen the local grid. In 2017, the company reinvested $10.6 million to completely renovate its local operating center in town. The East St. Louis Operating Center serves electric and natural gas customers in 10 communities and employs more than 50 people.
These enhancements are part of Ameren Illinois' multi-year initiative to modernize its energy delivery system. Since 2012, the company has implemented hundreds of projects, adding new technology and strengthening poles, wires and distribution equipment. As a result, reliability has improved by an average of 17 percent and the time of an outage has been reduced by 19 percent.
About Ameren Illinois
Ameren Illinois delivers energy to 1.2 million electric and 816,000 natural gas customers throughout central and southern Illinois. Our service territory covers more than 1,200 communities and 43,700 square miles and our mission is to power the quality of life. For more information, visit AmerenIllinois.com. Follow us on Twitter @AmerenIllinois and Facebook.
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