The Wichita City Council approved an $8.28 million Evergy power substation project that will be built east of 13th and Ridge. It will provide a dedicated underground line to supply at least 10 megawatts of power to the Northwest Wichita water treatment facility.
Council member Bryan Frye, who represents District V where the substation will be located, says installing the transmission line underground is important for the neighborhood.
The substation will be able to switch its incoming power supply from either direction, to allow for redundancy. The new water treatment facility, set to be finished in late 2024, will also have backup generators on site.
The council also approved converting Broadway from 13th Street to 21st Street North from a four-lane road to a three-lane road with a dedicated turn lane and bike lanes. The city says the improvements should reduce collisions and will be safer for pedestrians. That project should start next month and be finished by the end of October.
Two new ordinances for open records requests were approved, which will codify current practices and procedures to mirror state law. The city says it processes over three thousand requests annually.
The city plans to install traffic signals at Ridge and Village Circle, just south of K-96 in northwest Wichita. The city will split the cost of the $350 thousand project with the improvement district located there. The project should be complete by next spring.
Finally, the council unanimously approved a resolution supporting an extension of Amtrak rail services to the city. Wichita has not had passenger rail service since 1979.
