Mossman Transmission Line Upgrade
Transmission line upgrades enhance reliability and strengthen the power grid, allowing us to serve homes and businesses well into the future.
Overview
Evergy is preparing to rebuild the 60-year-old, 2-mile transmission line that connects the Mossman substation, located at Mossman and Chautauqua streets, to the Wichita State University substation, located at 17th and Bluff streets. Evergy is also preparing to rebuild and expand the existing Mossman substation.
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.
Route
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 route options. We 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. Weathered steel poles are brown and galvanized steel poles are silver.
Evergy with the City of Wichita used these results and worked together to choose the route with the least impact to customers, which has been determined to be the route following the Redbud Trail.
Design
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. At this stage of the project, the design has not been finalized, but our preliminary plan has the poles about 200-350 feet apart about 80-100 feet tall. A finalized design will be shared at a future open house held closer to the time that construction begins.
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. Steel poles are utilized for additional reliability and resiliency with the harsh weather conditions our communities can face.
Vegetation removal along the Red Bud Trail will be required for the safe construction and operation of the transmission line. We expect to begin trimming in late February/early March. The trail will be closed during that time for the safety of pedestrians and our crews.
Timeline
Construction is scheduled to take place in 2025. Property restoration will take place after construction is completed. Duration of restoration is weather dependent and varies by project, but properties will be restored to, near as reasonable, pre-construction condition.
Communications
Evergy is committed to transparent and timely communications with stakeholders who have an interest in the project, including neighborhood residents. As plans for the project are developed, we will share details with residents in the area.
We hosted an open house in October 2023. We will host another open house later this year to share more details about the design of the line. People who live or own property along the transmission line route will receive letters of invitation from Evergy, but the meeting will be open to the public.
Project details will continue to be updated online at www.evergy.com/mossman.
Frequently Asked Questions
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. Weathered steel poles are brown and galvanized steel poles are silver.
Evergy with the City of Wichita used these results and worked together to choose the route with the least impact to customers, which has been determined to be the route following the Redbud Trail.
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. At this stage of the project, the design has not been finalized, but our preliminary plan has the poles about 200-350 feet apart about 80-100 feet tall. A finalized design will be shared at a future open house held closer to the time that construction begins.
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. Steel poles are utilized for additional reliability and resiliency with the harsh weather conditions our communities can face.
Vegetation removal along the Red Bud Trail will be required for the safe construction and operation of the transmission line. We expect to begin trimming in late February/early March. The trail will be closed during that time for the safety of pedestrians and our crews.
