What Are Those Giant White Structures Along Highway 50 In East Sacramento?

Residents of East Sacramento and drivers along Highway 50 may have noticed four unusual looking 80 to 100-foot white structures adjacent to the light rail tracks.

That has led to speculation about what they actually are. According to SMUD, it's just the normal power transmission poles with a little plastic coating.

"Those structures you see are large plastic-wrapped shrouds that surround our transmission poles that we are in the process of recoating," SMUD spokesman Chris Capra said.

He says there is scaffolding underneath the plastic where workers are dry blasting the towers. Three coats of protectant will then be applied to help keep the steel in the high-power transmission poles — also known as mono-poles — from rusting.

The poles are relatively new, just a decade or two old. Prior to the current transmission poles, SMUD had lattice-style towers that Capra said looked like “Erector sets.”  He said the new poles are stronger and more efficient.

Capra says the material removed will be tested by SMUD and then properly disposed. The project is expected to last until mid-October.