WEST TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)– Duke Energy repurposed two old towers at the Wabashiki Wildlife Area, installing bald eagle nesting platforms.
The company utilized helicopters for the project. Senior construction manager Bill Bedwell said the helicopter work helped benefit the environment and the cost of the work.
“I’d say we saved another one to one point five million [dollars] as far as if we would’ve came in and done it conventionally with trucks, then we would’ve made an imprint on the environment by having to cut trees and everything, we didn’t have to do any of that,” he said.
The helicopter crew was lowered onto the top of the tower, and they removed the top of the tower before installing. The platforms are six feet wide and eight feet across.
The towers had completed their lifespan, and instead of completely replacing them, Duke worked with the park to install the platforms. According to the state’s department of natural resources, bald eagles have periodically been spotted in the area.
“They got a lot of eagles around here, they just don’t have the nesting areas that they need,” Bedwell said. “Hopefully in the future we get some bald eagles coming in to nest on the platforms.”
Bedwell said the work will be finished in about two weeks.
