Appalachian Power, AEP West Virginia Transmission Co., to Upgrade About 17 Miles of Transmission Line

Appalachian Power on Sept. 23 said that it and its affiliate, AEP West Virginia Transmission Co., Inc., plan to upgrade about 17 miles of transmission line to improve the electric transmission system serving customers in McDowell and Wyoming counties in West Virginia.

The company said that the Baileysville-Rockridge Transmission Line Rebuild Project, which will be built in or near the existing right of way (ROW), also includes improvements to four substations in the area.

The line rebuild begins at a substation in Baileysville located off Brier Creek Road and continues southwest for 17 miles, traveling through Sandy Huff and Apple Grove, Appalachian Power said, adding that the upgrades end at a substation in Rockridge located off Strawberry Avenue.

Appalachian Power spokesperson George Porter said in the statement that the existing Baileysville-Rockridge transmission line uses wooden poles from the 1960s.

As noted in a project fact sheet, crews plan to rebuild the line primarily using steel, V-shaped lattice towers and H-frame poles, with the proposed structure height being about 85 feet, compared to the existing structure height of about 60 feet.

The company said that landowners are invited to a virtual open house to learn more about the project and provide feedback to the project team. Landowners within the project area can expect to receive a packet in the mail that includes additional project details and a comment card that they can return by mail with their feedback, the company said.

The fact sheet noted that construction is set to begin in late 2021, with the project scheduled to be in service in December 2023.