SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) crews worked through the night, and continue to work this morning, to make repairs to three transmission towers and related electrical equipment damaged by a third party doing construction work Friday night adjacent to Highway 101 in Burlingame.

Based on the amount of damage caused by the third-party contractor, and the repairs required, PG&E and the California Highway Patrol anticipate re-opening Highway 101 by approximately 5 p.m. today.

As a result of the 9:30 p.m. incident impacting the towers, high-voltage power lines fell onto the highway, city streets and a pedestrian walkway. The damaged towers and fallen power lines stopped north- and southbound traffic on Highway 101 for several hours after the incident. Also, the incident caused a flicker or momentary outage on the Peninsula and in parts of San Francisco.

PG&E worked with first responders, including the CHP and local police and fire agencies, during the incident to make the area safe, resulting in no injuries. The CHP ordered occupants in several vehicles to shelter in place until PG&E could de-energize and ground the wires and make the area safe. PG&E appreciates the patience of those who remained in their cars and the good work of the CHP to keep these vehicle occupants safe.

PG&E had electric first responders on site within 10 minutes of the accident, and additional resources and crews from across Northern California were dispatched to the scene. Specialized equipment, personnel and vehicles are integral for a repair job of this magnitude on a primary artery of the electric system.

PG&E activated its incident command and two PG&E Mobile Command Vehicles were dispatched to manage PG&E’s response.

PG&E will need to repair or replace the damaged towers before restringing and energizing the wires.

Some important tips to remember when dealing with downed wires include:

• Treat all low-hanging and downed power lines as if they are energized and extremely dangerous.

• Keep yourself, other people and pets away from them.

• Be aware of trees, pools of water and other objects that may be in contact with downed power lines.

• If customers see damaged power lines and electric equipment, they should call 911, and then notify PG&E at 1-800-743-5002.

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/ and www.pge.com/en/about/newsroom/index.page.

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Source: Pacific Gas and Electric Company