As part of Dominion Energy’s Hornertown 230 kilovolt transmission line rebuild project between its Lakeview and Hornertown substations, a portion of the Roanoke Canal Trail will be closed during work hours.

The company said that after more than five decades of reliable service the line and its related components have reached the end of their service life and need to be replaced.

As part of the pre-construction work, the company has to remove danger trees located near the transmission line. 

Danger trees are trees outside the right of way that have the potential to fall within 10 feet of the transmission wire or structures. Trees and tree limbs that come in contact with electrical lines are a leading cause of power outages, especially during storms. The removal of danger trees is necessary to help prevent large-scale outages.

Danger tree work is scheduled to begin late this month through April along a portion of the trail between the Roanoke Canal Museum entrance going west and approximately one mile east of the Roanoke Rapids Lake Trail Head. Work will occur Mondays through Wednesdays from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Thursdays from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The trail will be closed during work hours and reopen in the evening. There will be no weekend work. 

Closure signs will be posted. This schedule is dependent on delays from inclement weather or technical issues.