Is it legal to lay road below high tension power lines?

Question

I was evaluating a real-estate property for investment. When I visited the spot. I saw high tension power lines and space right below was indicated as 60' wide road. With the power tower right at the dead centre of the junction. Is it not illegal?

Answer 1

Yes but there are certain things that need to happen.

for high tension power lines there are different types of towers.

Tension towers are the commonest and the weakest, they just support the line, about every 10th tower should be a tension tower, a stronger tower than can hold if the line breaks. either side of a road should be a tension tower, you can tell a tension tower  as it will normally have a loop of cable where the cables attach and the insulators (the glass plates) are horizontal instead of vertical.

In this case they should normally change the tower locations so they are either side of the road

Answer 2

As this question appears in the UK & Ireland section, I'll give you the UK rules; the necessary overhead clearance depends on the voltage, 275 or 400kV lines require 7 metres, 132kV 6.7 metres, and up to 33kV is 5.2 metres. A power tower/pylon is not permitted in the middle of a junction.

EDIT: Ah, wish you'd said that before. Disregard, then.

Answer 3

I don't think you would want to build anywhere near high tension lines - stories of them causing health problems for people living close to them

Answer 4

If roads could not go under power lines, how would you get past them?