Utility Poles Throughout New Canaan Getting ‘Braces’ To Strengthen Them; Work To Conclude Next Week

Work crews are installing “braces” on utility poles throughout New Canaan, an effort designed to make the them sturdier, officials say.

Spray-painted brown to blend in with the poles themselves, the braces and their installation is being paid for by Frontier, according to Public Works Director Tiger Mann. The braces are designed to make the poles more durable during storms and to help them carry extra weight as 5G gear is added.

Nearly 400 poles in New Canaan are getting the braces and two Frontier-subcontracted work crews have about 150 left to do—at a pace of 25 to 45 installations per day, the work should be completed by the end of next week, Mann said.

The installations require pile-driving the brace into the ground and strapping the device onto the pole—work that tends to be loud and could take up to 90 minutes depending on whether the crews run into rocks in the process, Mann said.

Designed to bring the poles back to their original strength, the braces run nearly flush with the poles themselves. 

While homeowners may refuse to have the braces put on, the entire utility pole would need to be replaced in such cases, Mann said.