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An electricity distribution upgrade between Hardwick and Kenneth will provide more power to customers along the four-mile area in northeastern Rock County.
Since June 2, workers from subcontractor Legacy Power Line Inc. of Wadena have been erecting wooden power poles along County Road 7 between 160th and 200th avenues in Battle Plain Township.
Once the poles are fully upright, workers from Sioux Valley Electric will then string the new power lines, bringing the amount of current from single-phase power to a three-phase level.
Tim Fey, operations manager with Sioux Valley Energy of Colman, South Dakota, said the upgraded feeder line will better serve a nearby irrigation pivot and allow service to future customers with medium voltage needs.
The decision not to bore the lines underground was both economical and a necessity.
“The overhead line is a lot less expensive to put in,” Fey said.
From an engineering standpoint, the increased voltage is best carried above ground, he added.
The project is expected to be finished in a matter of weeks.