QUINCY — National Grid is starting work this week on a $92 million North Quincy cable replacement project that representatives say should help increase reliability of service in the area.

Construction will start this week on Newport Avenue and around Stratton Way, West Squantum Street and a privately owned parking lot on Newport Avenue Extension. The project will replace 115kV underground electric transmission cables located between National Grid's North Quincy Substation and its Field Street Substation.

The existing cables are nearly 50 years old and will be replaced with modern cables installed within a concrete duct bank and manhole system, according to National Grid.

"Over the past year, National Grid has worked closely with and received extensive input from municipal officials and other local stakeholders," the company said in a press release. "The project will help improve safety and reliability and provide the area’s transmission grid with greater operational flexibility. It will also improve the system’s ability to support new customers, large and small, allowing National Grid to provide continued service for residents and businesses in the region

Residents of North Quincy between Hancock Street, Beale Street and the Presidents Golf Course say they have for years been plagued with inconsistent and unreliable electric service from the city's power provider: National Grid. City officials have long said there nothing they can do – both the infrastructure and service are owned by the private company.

“The North Quincy Cable Project will improve our ability to serve our customers and allow us to support continued economic growth in Quincy and surrounding communities,” Tim Moore, vice president of electric project management and construction at National Grid New England said in a statement “We’re proud to be investing in improving and strengthening our existing systems which will allow us to continue to provide the electricity our customers depend on well into the future.

National Grid said it originally planned to begin the work next year but decided on a 2021 start while traffic levels remain low due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This phase of construction is expected to be complete by the end of July 2021, and other construction will start in 2022. The project is slated to finish by the end of 2023.

For more information and project updates, visit NorthQuincyCableProject.com, call 1-800-358-3879 or email info@NorthQuincyCableProject.com.

Information from State House News Service was used in this report. Reach Mary Whitfill at mwhitfill@patriotledger.com. Source: https://www.patriotledger.com/...