The Challenge

West Whitby Landowners Group Inc. planned to develop 6,500 hectares of farmland adjacent to the 407 West Durham Link, creating a community comprised of both residential and commercial properties. In order for construction to occur however, Coronation Road, running through the centre of the site with approximately four kilometres of distribution line, would have to be relocated. Additionally, all relocation design and work needed to be completed before grade separation and road construction work could begin. The line needed to be positioned such that the subsequent grade separation construction would not trigger a second relocation of the line.

DPM’s Role and Responsibilities

DPM Energy was brought on board as the electrical design engineers for the West Whitby Landowners Group, thanks to our extensive knowledge and experience designing and coordinating long distribution lines.

We were asked to (1) prepare relocation designs to move 5 kilometres of 44kV and 13.8kV hydro lines, (2) design street lighting for the spine line, and (3) design hydro infrastructure and street lighting to service 2550 residential units.

The project was technically challenging for a number of reasons. Not only was this a large development project requiring the coordination of designs from seven different landowners for a total of 2550 units, it also required the relocation of five kilometres of pole line with 44kV and 13.8kV circuits.

Additionally, the proposed line crossed over a CPR rail line. As well, pre-grading work was required for part of the site to allow earthworks to commence ahead of the pole line relocation, and four poles required relocation while maintaining supplies.

DPM’s Solution

DPM successfully met the challenges of this large and complex project by dividing the design into four manageable parts: (1) hydro spine line, (2) spine line lighting design, (3) subdivision hydro design, and (4) subdivision lighting design. West Whitby is a major urban boundary expansion area for the Town of Whitby and Durham Region. A prime location adjacent to the 407 West Durham Link, West Whitby will ultimately accommodate approximately 20,000 people, 6,000 units, and offer over 100 hectares of developable employment land.