Portland General Electric (PGE) is replacing one of Oregon’s oldest transmission lines, which runs for nearly 32 miles along the Springwater Corridor and Cazadero trails. The line was the first in Oregon to use steel lattice towers and has carried electricity from PGE’s hydroelectric sites on the Clackamas River to the larger electric grid for more than 100 years.

The project will replace the existing towers with steel poles designed to be more fire-resistant and install upgraded powerlines to improve electric system safety and reliability.

The first phase of the project began south of Estacada in July 2025 and is scheduled to continue north along the Cazadero Trail through October 2026. PGE expects construction to reach the Springwater Corridor Trail in September 2026 and Gresham, the endpoint of the first phase, by February 2027.

The second phase will follow the Springwater Corridor Trail from Gresham to southeast Portland. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2028 and conclude in 2030.

The replacement steel poles are stronger than the existing towers, allowing PGE to use fewer structures along the route. The upgraded powerlines will be capable of carrying nearly twice as much electricity as the existing lines.

PGE has recycled approximately 125 tons of steel during the project so far and expects to recycle more than twice that amount by completion.