Alliant Energy responds to power line snapping, falling across First Avenue

A hot power line narrowly missed a Cedar Rapids man when it snapped Wednesday along First Avenue West.

Garbage truck driver Richard Bails, 40, said he was getting out of his truck for a pick-up around 6:40 a.m. when the line snapped between First and Second streets. It missed him by less than two feet.

“I took off on a dead run,” Bails said.

The still-energized power line dropped across all lanes of traffic on First Avenue at one of its busiest hours. Bails said several vehicles drove over the power line, causing sparks, before police and firefighters arrived to block the street. The detour lasted about 45 minutes until Alliant Energy workers disconnected the power.

Police said the power line simply snapped due to old age. Alliant Energy spokesman Justin Foss said the lines there are about 50 years old, but are made to last 70 years.

Darrel Rocarek, 47, said he noticed two flashes and a popping sounds, and knew immediately it was the power lines outside his apartment. He said he had complained to the city, because the lines often spark during windy conditions.

“Those wires have been burnt for eight months, and throwing sparks on my truck for eight months,” Rocarek said.

After police and firefighters left, the Alliant workers spliced the broken line back together. Although most of the seven power lines that cross First Avenue West there appear to be frayed, Foss said it doesn't necessarily represent a safety concern.

“It's steel or copper on the inside surrounded by other metal coating, so it's a line, within a line, within a line,” Foss said. “The only way to check if the line is going bad is to see if it's bad on the inside.”

Foss said those lines were last inspected in 2006, and were expected to last another 10 years at that time. He said the aging lines in the area are scheduled to be replaced in 2013 or 2014.

“Just because it breaks doesn't mean the line is (totally) bad,” Foss said. “You can put it together again, and it will hold as good as new.”

The incident knocked out power to about two dozen customers in the area for about 30 minutes, officials said.

Foss said anyone with safety concerns about power lines should call Alliant Energy directly at 1-800-ALLIANT.