Some jobs are hard enough in mild weather, but severe cold and heavy snowfalls can make them decidedly difficult. Such has been the case for an Intren crew working over several weeks in February and March 2014, at the City of Morrison subdivision. The photo below shows the starting location at Greenland Drive and Hazel Road, Morrison, IL.
One worker stated Intren is “replacing [old electrical cable with] new, underground cable for ComEd.” His stood in an ice-water hole over two feet deep as he spoke. “Digging through frozen ground in the cold” makes the men’s task challenging, even with specialized equipment.
Two additional holes were dug near the corner of Ridgewood Drive and Hazel Road and on Hazel Road between Ridgewood and Greenland Drives. The latter incision is shown at right below. Both are temporarily covered.
On Tuesday, March 4, a spokesman for ComEd reported, “We are replacing old cable as maintenance on the system. It is part of our efforts to make sure the system is reliable and to keep the lights on.”
Intren chose material from The Okonite Company of Ramsey, NJ, which has made “high-quality, insulated electric wire and cable since 1878.” Their earliest customers were Samuel F. B. Morse, for his telegraph network, and Thomas A. Edison, for the Pearl Street Generating Station, the Nation’s first, built in New York City, NY, in 1882.