Sparking power lines shut down both lanes of Highway 101 near
Betabel Road Sunday night, causing delays and leaving at least 500
San Benito residents temporarily without power. The freeway closure
was a security measure to prevent the small, but serious risk the
falling sparks posed to the freeway below, according to California
Highway Patrol Officer Matt Ramirez.
Hollister – Sparking power lines shut down both lanes of Highway 101 near Betabel Road Sunday night, causing delays and leaving at least 500 San Benito residents temporarily without power. The freeway closure was a security measure to prevent the small, but serious risk the falling sparks posed to the freeway below, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Matt Ramirez.
“It was a little spark that created lots of heat and energy and we were concerned about a possible fire,” said Ramirez.
No injuries were reported, according to California Highway Patrol.
Southbound traffic was diverted to Highway 25 while northbound traffic was sent to Highway 156, creating a delay of about 20 minutes, said Ramirez. CHP had no information on how many cars were affected by the problem nor how many cars were diverted off the highway.
The incident was caused by a failed connector – the piece that connects wires to utility poles – and was quickly fixed by PG&E, who responded to the scene along with a team of firefighters from the California Department of Forestry.
“Although it is an inconvenience to people, safety was our primary concern,” said Jeff Smith, spokesperson for PG&E.
The accident happened around 5pm and the flow of traffic was restored by 7 pm, according to the CHP.
It is not usual for power lines to spark, but when they do, all precautions should be taken to keep cars as far away as possible because the sparks could create a small fire and fall on the cars below, said Smith. There are no requirements about the location of power lines and they frequently stretch over highways to provide electricity to either sides of the roadways, said Smith.
Karina Ioffee covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at (831)637-5566 ext. 335 or [email protected]
