ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Powerline river crossings in the United Kingdom

Okay, so you know how we get electricity from power stations? Well, that electricity has to travel a long way to get to our homes and shops and schools. Sometimes, the best way to get electricity to where it needs to go is to send it through big metal cables called power lines.

But sometimes, those power lines need to go over rivers. And that can be a little tricky, because you can’t just lay power lines on the riverbed! So, how do we get those power lines across the water?

Well, in the United Kingdom (UK), one way we do that is by using something called a powerline river crossing. That’s a fancy way of saying we build a special kind of structure that lets us carry those power lines over the water.

These structures are really strong and sturdy, so they can hold the weight of the power lines without falling down or getting damaged. And they’re designed to be a particular shape and size, so that they don’t get in the way of boats or other things that might be traveling along the river.

Sometimes, these powerline river crossings can look like big towers with power lines strung between them. Other times, they might look like a long bridge just for power lines! But either way, they’re really important for making sure everyone has access to the electricity we need to power our homes and our lives.