Pasadena, Calif. advances $43.8-million utility undergrounding project

The Raymond Avenue Underground Utility District spans 2.02 miles from Maple Street to the city’s northern limits and encompasses 61 utility poles, 247 parcels and 268 meters. According to Pasadena Now, the project will relocate overhead electric and communications lines underground, with Doty Bros. Construction serving as contractor.

Construction began Feb. 2, with crews working north from Maple and Claremont streets in parallel. Installation of the underground electrical backbone was scheduled to begin in August, followed by customer service connections beginning in February 2027. Removal of existing poles and overhead lines is planned for February 2028, with streetlight installation and street resurfacing also scheduled for early 2028.

Major construction at the Washington Boulevard and Raymond Avenue intersection has been rescheduled from Sept. 14 to Sept. 21 because of forecasted rain, Pasadena Now reported. The work is expected to require lane reductions, turn-pocket closures and other traffic restrictions for about three weeks.

The Raymond Avenue work is part of Pasadena’s Underground Utility District Program, which has converted overhead electric and communications infrastructure since 1968 to improve reliability and safety. After the Raymond Avenue project is completed, the city plans another undergrounding district along Mountain Street, with construction currently expected to begin in January 2029.