Construction of Power Switchyard in Gila Bend, Arizona

Project Summary

Saulsbury constructed a 500-kilovolt switchyard for a power plant in Gila Bend, Arizona. The switchyard was constructed on a prepared pad that spanned over one half a mile in length and was hailed as one of the largest in the world. Over 800 drilled piers and 5,600 cubic yards of concrete were installed.

The switchyard is a breaker-and-a-half scheme consisting of: 

• A 300-MVA 500-kV to 230-kV transformer 
• 23-HVB 500-kV dead tank breakers
• 61-500-kV southern states switches
• Three-230-kV southern states switches