Evergy backs off part of Riverside power pole plan

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — After a couple of years of fighting against larger utility poles coming to the Riverside neighborhood, residents got some good news Monday, but some people may still be disappointed.

Evergy continues its plan to upgrade a transmission line between the substation located at 17th Street and Emporia Avenue and the substation at 11th Street and Jefferson in Riverside. The transmission line was built in the 1950s.

But Evergy has decided the work will stop once it reaches 11th and Jefferson. It will no longer extend the work to the 777 W. Central Ave. substation. That section of the rebuild would have gone through historic neighborhoods and parks.

“After further evaluation … we determined the rebuild is not needed at this time. Infrastructure upgrades we have made throughout the city, as well as a planned substation upgrade near Mead and 3rd Street, have allowed us to remove the project from the current schedule,” Kaley Bohlen, Evergy communications manager, said.

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If Evergy decides it needs to add that stretch of transmission line in the future, it will reach out to landowners and hold an open house.

Evergy is holding an open house on the rest of the Riverside rebuild on Tuesday night. The open house is from 5 to 7 p.m. on April 16 at the Minisa shelter building, 704 W. 13th St.

Residents can expect to see preliminary project details.

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