Demolition of overhead line between Moeskroen and Zwevegem almost finished
Demolition of the 70-kV overhead line between Moeskroen and Zwevegem has entered the final phase. This week, pylons near the Dottenijsestraat (Kortrijk) and the Kapel Milanendreef, Leeuwke and Avelgemstraat (Zwevegem) will be demolished. When work ends this week, all 58 pylons will have been demolished.
The 70-kV high-voltage line (70,000 volts) that runs between Moeskroen, Rollegem and Bellegem (Kortrijk) towards Zwevegem was built in 1936 and has supplied the region with electricity ever since. Eighty-eight years later, the line is obsolete and being dismantled, as are its 58 high-voltage pylons. The dismantling of the line is part of a reorganisation of the power grid in the area, which is why the line is not being replaced. The expansion of the high-voltage grid by Elia (the high-voltage grid operator) and so-called meshing mean that the electricity supply will continue to be guaranteed at all times.
The final phase
The work is progressing well thanks to the good preparatory work done by the whole team. The remaining pylons - on the Dottenijsestraat (Kortrijk) and on the Kapel Milanendreef, Leeuwke and Avelgemstraat (Zwevegem) will be removed this week. All the pylon foundations will be bored out and filled with soil this week too. Early next year, the work will be inspected and any minor repair work necessary will be done. However, all major work has already been completed.
Working in phases
The work was carried out in phases and was preceded by preparatory work in April 2024. For example, road plates and access roads were laid to give machines easy access to the high-voltage pylons. An Elia representative visited local residents with a high-voltage pylon on their private property before the work started to explain the work to them. In the meantime, the overhead line was already being de-energised. Afterwards, wooden frames were installed at road level for safety reasons. In the next phase, the electricity cables were removed using a roller. The pylons were then removed with a tall crane.
