Falling tree takes out city’s fiber optic network
Leader photo by Caleb Daniel
Workers were on Ashland Street in Ruston Thursday to repair damage to power poles and lines caused by a series of events that started with a falling tree Wednesday night. Power had been restored by Thursday morning, but the city's fiber-optic grid may be out until Monday.
If all goes according to plan, the city of Ruston’s fiber optic network should be fully restored by Monday.
The fiber grid went down during Wednesday’s rainstorm when a large pine tree on Ashland Street uprooted around 9:30 p.m., setting off a series of events that took out the city’s main fiber trunk lines that stretches across I-20.
The fiber network provides internet service to almost all downtown Ruston businesses, as well as some further out from the city center. City Hall, Ruston High School, and Ruston Junior High School are all also impacted by the outage.
“All evidence indicates that the tree fell on Ashland and a cross arm broke, allowing slack in the aerial crossing across the interstate,” Public Works Director John Freeman said.
The lines sagged low enough that they were apparently snagged by an 18-wheeler and snapped.
“We found (the cable) laying in the interstate,” Freeman said.
The whiplash effect broke or damaged 10 utility poles from Bittersweet Avenue to West Alabama Avenue, snapping more lines.
“This is major. This is just like the tornado,” Mayor Ronny Walker said, referring to the substantial damage done to the fiber system four years ago this week when an EF3 storm hit Ruston.
Now, as then, businesses were forced to use hotspots or some other way around the internet while repairs are being made.
“We are totally rebuilding a mile of the highest (lines), as far as height and voltage, that we have in our city,” Walker said. “We are having to replace every bit of it.”
The tedious process of rebuilding the system involves fusing tiny strands of fiber that are encased inside a larger cable. Walker said extra crews and equipment are being brought help repair the damage.
Meantime, as of daybreak Thursday electricity had been restored to the approximately 600 residents around the La Mesa area of northwest Ruston who lost power.
