By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

Groups of bucket trucks are making their way around eastern Marion as work to complete a long-planned upgrade of the city’s electrical system has begun.

Workers for Integrated Electrical Services Commercial and Industrial in Holdrege, Nebraska, are replacing poles and cross arms where needed, replacing transformers, and installing new lines to convert older 2,400-volt electrical service to 12.5-kilovolt service for three city circuits not earlier upgraded.

After lines are replaced along the circuits, IES will overhaul the city substation, including installation of a system that reroutes power quicker during an outage.

Work has started on the south hill and will continue toward the substation.

“They are shooting to get the substation completed before the end of the calendar year,” city administrator Roger Holter said.

The crew notifies residents that electrical service will be out the next day by putting door hangers on residences.

Occasional unexpected power failures may occur because a pole serves an area crew members aren’t aware of, Holter said.

Work is expected to last a full year.

The $4.15 million project is being done in cooperation with the Kansas Power Pool.

All 2,400-volt system components of the city electric system will be retired. The new system is expected to have fewer brownouts and power failures.