APCo plans upgrade of transmission power line in Va., W.Va.

ROANOKE, Va. (AP) - Appalachian Power is planning to upgrade a roughly 21-mile power line in Virginia and West Virginia.

The company says that if approved by regulators in both states, it will upgrade the South Bluefield-Wythe transmission power line from a 69 kilovolt line to a 138 kilovolt line.

The Roanoke Times reports (https://bit.ly/1wclI0j ) that most of the work would take place in Bland and Wythe counties. Additional work would be completed in Mercer County, West Virginia.

Officials hope to begin work in 2016 and complete the project in 2018. It will likely cost between $70 million to $90 million. The original line was built in 1917.

Appalachian Power has about 1 million customers in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee.

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Information from: The Roanoke Times, https://www.roanoke.com