USACE Louisville District breaks ground on $11.6M substation to secure Rock Island Arsenal manufacturing

ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District partnered with leaders from the Rock Island Arsenal and the Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center to break ground on an $11.6 million electrical infrastructure upgrade. The construction replaces a legacy 1975 primary electrical substation with a modernized system designed to support the installation's projected energy demands.

“This project sets the stage for a comprehensive upgrade of our electrical facilities in support of our partners at the Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center,” said Col. Joe Parker, U.S. Army Rock Island garrison commander. “Not only will this provide a critical upgrade to an over 50-year-old substation, it lays the groundwork for the most comprehensive series of utility upgrades in over a century here on the island.

The existing system is faced with increased maintenance costs and aging components. Should the facility experience an unplanned power interruption, JMTC's ability to manufacture and supply essential defense equipment, such as armor and logistics materials, to soldiers downrange, could be delayed. By increasing the capacity to approximately 70,000KV and integrating building back-up generation, this design-bid-build project establishes the energy security required to keep these manufacturing lines operational.

“This is so much more than moving dirt and placing concrete," said Col. L. Reyn Mann, Louisville District commander. "With this project we are delivering mission assurance. We are making sure JMTC never has to think about power—so they can keep their focus exactly where it belongs: developing, manufacturing, and delivering readiness solutions for the warfighter."

To prevent interruptions to the arsenal’s global defense manufacturing missions, the project management team prioritized stabilizing the installation's utility framework.

"Our goal is to deliver a secure, reliable electrical power baseline for RIA safely, on-schedule, and within budget," said Eric Cheng, USACE Louisville District project manager. "This new system serves as the foundational energy infrastructure enabling JMTC to modernize manufacturing processes and rapidly scale to meet the Army mission.”

This military construction project functions as the central energy distribution point for the arsenal. Upgrading this infrastructure will ensure consistent power necessary for the JMTC and RIA to deliver critical support to the warfighter globally, mitigating the risk of future operational interruptions.

“This is a game changer in ensuring that we have what we need to support current and future requirements as we push to modernize all of our infrastructure here at Rock Island Arsenal,” Parker added.

The planning phase required integrated coordination among USACE Louisville, USACE Rock Island District Construction, RIA Directorate of Public Works, and RIA JMTC to create a plan to manage site congestion.

Because the construction takes place within a constrained, active footprint alongside concurrent power distribution upgrades—such as the ERCIP Microgrid and Transmission Line Upgrades—maintaining operational deconfliction is a requirement.

"Transparent, frequent communication remains vital to synchronize schedules, mitigate operational impacts to RIA, and swiftly adapt to field conditions during execution," Cheng said.

The physical scope of the project includes demolishing the existing system, installing new duct banks and conduit, and modifying control systems. Construction is scheduled to be completed by November 2027, with a targeted handover May 2028.