MUNCIE, Ind. — Indiana Michigan Power gave the Muncie City Council a project update on Jan. 6 about a transmission‑line replacement that has required temporary traffic controls on Tillotson Avenue and will involve further underground work and road restoration through summer and into next year.

Rob Kiesling, external affairs manager for Indiana Michigan Power, described the project as a replacement of an existing high‑voltage transmission line that runs from the Kenmore Station near Tillotson, through a Delaware substation near the airport and in sections near Ball State University. Kiesling said the portion of the project that has attracted the most attention is the current underground phase where the utility placed high‑voltage lines in a concrete encasement or “duct bank.”

Kiesling said a late assessment determined a duct bank segment along York Prairie Creek is not suitable for reuse and must be replaced. The company worked with a traffic‑control vendor and city engineering staff to develop a reconstruction path north of Petty Road that keeps construction out of residential streets as much as practical. “We expect that phase to go through this summer,” Kiesling said.

Kiesling also said that once the wire is energized the company will start road restoration. He said the company has been coordinating with Adam Leach in the city engineer’s office on paving depth, underlayment and repaving specifications so the road restoration meets city standards. He said the company is responsible for repaving the areas it excavated.

Kiesling described future phases that will require lane closures and other restrictions, including work near Haltzman Village and parts of Tillotson that will require placing duct bank in the roadway to meet clearance requirements. He said the work will likely start late summer or early fall and continue into the following summer for those phases. He encouraged residents with suspected foundation issues to contact him so the company can route concerns to its right‑of‑way team.

Questions from council members and residents

Council members thanked Kiesling for the update and asked whether traffic controls could be relaxed when crews are not working; Kiesling said the company’s traffic‑control vendor currently plans closures and that the vendor can revisit keeping intersections open outside active work periods. Residents asked who to contact about potential foundation issues; Kiesling asked that residents contact him so he can refer inquiries to the company’s right‑of‑way staff.

Why this matters

Replacing high‑voltage transmission lines and moving segments underground is a substantial utility project that affects traffic, public rights‑of‑way and nearby properties. Kiesling said the utility will repave to city engineer specifications after construction to restore road surfaces.

Ending

Kiesling said Indiana Michigan Power expects the current phase to continue through the summer, with subsequent phases later in the year that will require further lane restrictions; he said he will return with updates and that the utility and city staff are coordinating on restoration and timing.