JASPER, Tenn. – The Tennessee Valley Authority has issued a river traffic alert to caution boaters about transmission line work later this week near Nickajack Dam.

On Wednesday and Thursday, April 8-9, TVA construction crews will be replacing the wire above the Nickajack-Jasper 161-kilovolt transmission line along the portion that crosses the river near the dam.

Watercraft operators should avoid the area or take extra precautions around River Mile 424.7 on the downstream side of Nickajack Dam. Four safety patrol boats will be on duty in the area during the construction project and will be monitoring marine channels 16 and 13.

Work is scheduled from 7 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. CDT on both days as the overhead ground wire is replaced with a fiber optic ground wire. Workers will be on site prior to Wednesday to prepare for the work.

The Tennessee Valley Authority is a corporate agency of the United States that provides electricity for business customers and local power distributors serving 9 million people in parts of seven southeastern states. TVA receives no taxpayer funding, deriving virtually all of its revenues from sales of electricity. In addition to operating and investing its revenues in its electric system, TVA provides flood control, navigation and land management for the Tennessee River system and assists local power companies and state and local governments with economic development and job creation.