ENMAX is committed to ensuring reliable electricity to Calgarians. So, when our teams discovered damage to a backup power line serving the southeast Calgary community of Riverbend, we knew we had to take action to maintain long-term system resilience.

While customers remained connected through the primary line and experienced no service interruptions, the backup feeder—located beneath the Graves Bridge—needed to be restored. System redundancy is a key part of delivering reliable power, helping ensure continued service during maintenance or unexpected issues.

After a full assessment, ENMAX engineers agreed that using the bridge's existing conduits to re-run the 257 metre three-phase cable wasn't an option. So, our teams had to get creative in finding a solution.

Distribution Project Manager Graham Heiberg recalls the brainstorm session: “We had a few options available to us. Could we drill under the river? Would a re-route or new distribution line make sense? Or maybe run an independent overhead line across the river that would be entirely ours, separate from other cables, like telecom?”

After weighing the options, the team landed on the best and most achievable solution, which was installing three new overhead conductor lines across the river, running parallel to the bridge. Executing this plan involved installing power poles on both sides of the river, carefully threading cables across the bridge span, and coordinating closely with The City of Calgary and environmental regulators. ENMAX crews worked with precision to reduce environmental impacts and preserve the surrounding area.

“We had to be really mindful of our impact and make sure we left everything as we found it,” says Graham.

Adding to the complexity, the job required larger-than-usual trucks and lifts due to the height of the installation and took place on Glenmore Trail – one of Calgary’s busiest traffic corridors. To minimize disruption, crews performed the installation overnight, completing the installation between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. with minimal impact to Calgarians. 

From permitting to execution the project demonstrated strong collaboration between ENMAX engineers, system planners and field crews. Thanks to their dedication and expertise, the new backup line is now in service—ensuring continued power reliability for Riverbend and surrounding communities for years to come.

This project is just one example of how ENMAX invests in Calgary’s electrical system, solving complex problems today to support a resilient grid in the future.