The project replaces a transmission line from the 1960s that is nearing the end of its service life. Upgrading the infrastructure is needed to ensure our equipment meets modern construction standards for reliability and safety.

The upgrades will enhance electric reliability and support growth in Wichita, as well as strengthen the regional power grid. The new line will be stronger, more efficient and will incorporate technology that can help reduce power outages, both in frequency and length.

The transmission line will be built using steel poles because of the curvature of the Redbud Trail. Due to the trail’s terrain, the pole heights will vary along the path. The poles will be about 200-350 feet apart and about 80-100 feet tall on 2-3 feet concrete foundations.

Based on the community’s preference, we will use weathered steel poles along the Redbud Trail. Galvanized steel poles will be used along 17th Street to match the existing steel poles that are already in place in that area.

We recently removed and trimmed vegetation along the Red Bud Trail for the safe construction and operation of the transmission line. Grass seed was also spread in the area.

Multiple potential routes between the two substations were evaluated. Two viable overhead routes were presented to the community – one that follows the existing route with some modifications and one that would follow the Redbud Trail.

We hosted an informational meeting in August 2022 to seek public input about both options. We also asked affected landowners and community members to share their thoughts in an online survey. Thank you to those who attended the meeting and took the time to complete the survey.

The vote breakdown between the two routes was near even, falling within the statistical margin of error. The survey did reveal that weathered steel poles were largely preferred over galvanized steel poles. Evergy and the City of Wichita used these results and worked together to choose the route with the least impact to the community, which has been determined to be the route following the Redbud Trail.

While it’s more common to bury distribution lines or service lines, it’s not common to bury transmission lines in our area. Cost and feasibility prevent undergrounding for most projects. Typically, room isn’t available to rebuild the transmission line underground because other utilities (natural gas and water lines, for example) are already underground in the area.

Transmission lines carry more electricity than distribution lines, which results in larger and more complex construction and higher costs when buried. The cost to construct underground transmission lines generally is about eight times more than overhead. As we work to maintain affordable electricity rates, we must take this into consideration as those costs are included in the rates all customers pay for their service.