Crews race against storm to save power lines from Orinda mudslide

ORINDA, Calif. (KGO) -- With all the rain coming it's a race against the clock in Orinda, where a mudslide is putting power lines in danger.

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PG&E crews are heading up the hillside near Highway 24 and Wilder Road.

Crews have staged their equipment near there to work on shoring up the project, but the area where the slide is threatening the transmission tower is so remote they have to use a helicopter to help transport some of their equipment.

We watched as a large helicopter airlifted a portable light. A PG&E spokesperson tells ABC7 News the slide was actually spotted by a property owner at the end of January and engineers have been putting together a plan on how to shore it up since then.

The slide is near at least one high-voltage tower and of course, the concern is that it would be compromised and that could affect the power system.

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That is the worst case scenario and it has not reached that point yet but crews will be on this project for a while.

"I know that the crews are going to be working through the night," said PG&E spokesperson Tamar Sarkissian. "They were working yesterday as well. They will continue working on this project until, for as long as it takes."

She says the slide is nowhere close to any homes so there is no safety threat for the public and that their system has redundant lines so on the slim chance the transmission tower dos fail it should not affect customers.

Workers are hoping to make a lot of progress before the next storm blows in Monday and Tuesday.

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