By: Rob Keisling—
Muncie, IN—Indiana Michigan Power is nearing the completion of its project to enhance the reliability of service to the Muncie area by building a new substation at Tillotson and University Avenues. While there is more work to be done to complete the project, the substation has already begun to serve the Muncie area.
To help make the new facility compatible with the neighborhood, the new Kenmore substation encloses key equipment inside buildings, and has a decorative wall rather than chain-link fencing securing the property. I&M will add to the aesthetics of the area this summer with landscaping around the station and a masonry planter that designates the Kenmore neighborhood.
The new substation interconnects with two other key Muncie substations, strengthening the power grid. The station is serving area customers with new transformers and other state-of-the-art equipment that enhances reliability by reducing outages and speeding recovery should outages occur.
Looking ahead, Kenmore will enhance reliability even more with new lines to customers in the area and interconnections to two other key Muncie substations.
The next step involves moving underground service lines south from the aging Tillotson substation to the new station. Because these lines are under the streets, temporary lane and street closings will be required that will affect traffic on Tillotson Avenue for about three weeks beginning Monday, March 11. Tillotson Avenue will be closed to southbound traffic and limited to one lane northbound beginning Monday, March 11. A detour using Riverside, McKinley and University avenues will be well-marked.
Corner of University Avenue and Tillotson as photographed on 3/14/19
This summer, temporary traffic changes on University Avenue will be announced to allow I&M to enhance reliability for the long-term.
When the project is completed, I&M plans to retire and disassemble the Tillotson station and transfer ownership of the property to neighboring Westminster Presbyterian Church.
I&M appreciates the community’s patience as we work to modernize our infrastructure to enhance reliability to the customers we are proud to serve. We also ask people to take care in travelling in the area so that we can complete the work safely.
Rob Keisling is I&M Community Affairs Manager for Muncie and East Central Indiana.
