HARTFORD, Conn., and BOSTON, Mass. (December 16, 2014) – Engineering News-Record (ENR) today recognized Northeast Utilities’ Greater Springfield Reliability Project (GSRP) as the Best Overall Construction Project in New England. The award, announced at an ENR hosted ceremony in Boston, comes on the heels of GSRP also being named Best Energy/Industrial Project in New England by ENR, and recognized by The Edison Electric Institute for accomplishments in safety, innovation and teamwork.
“We are honored to receive this recognition and we commend the GSRP team, including our partner Burns & McDonnell, for their innovation and exemplary work,” said Kathy Shea, Vice President of Transmission Project Development at Northeast Utilities. “This project is a win-win, as GSRP was not only completed ahead of schedule and under budget; it also accomplished its goal of strengthening the region’s electrical grid to deliver more reliable power to the area.”
Construction of GSRP began in late 2010 and it was fully energized on November 20, 2013. The project was completed on time and came in approximately $40 million under budget, totaling $676 million, despite challenging weather events that included Superstorm Sandy and the blizzard of 2013.
As one of the largest construction undertakings of its kind in the country, GSRP spanned 100 circuit miles from Ludlow, Chicopee, Springfield, West Springfield, and Agawam, Massachusetts, as well as Suffield, East Granby and Bloomfield, Connecticut. Highlights included installing more than 600 new transmission structures and 13 new or rebuilt substations and switching stations. The completion of this project is providing additional reliability benefits to tens of thousands of customers in these communities and beyond.