PPL Electric Utilities is strengthening a portion of its electric delivery system in Pittston, Luzerne County, replacing more than two miles of underground power lines in the Highland Hills development.

“The new underground lines will be better protected and allow for quicker repairs if any problems do occur,” said Dave Bonenberger, regional director of operations for PPL Electric Utilities.

The $400,000 project will take place in stages and is expected to be complete this fall. It involves replacing older cable with new jacketed cable shielded in conduit, which is more durable and easier to work with if future repairs are required. Boring and excavation work have begun. The project should not interrupt electric service, Bonenberger said.

“The underground lines we use today have improved since Highland Hills was developed,” Bonenberger said. “That’s good for the crews who maintain our underground lines, and it’s good for the customers, who benefit through more reliable service.”

In many cases, today’s newer lines can be pulled out of their protective conduit at selective locations and repaired, if needed, without the more time-consuming process of digging up the line.

Bonenberger said this project is just one of the many improvements the company is making in Luzerne County and across the company’s 29-county service territory. The company expects to invest more than $1.2 billion to maintain, improve and expand its electric distribution system in the next five years so that it can continue to provide reliable service to its customers.

In the past year, the company has stepped up tree-trimming efforts and equipment inspections to reduce outages. It is in the process of adding more switches and protective equipment in many locations across its delivery system to reduce the number of customers affected and the duration of outages.

PPL Electric Utilities Corporation, a subsidiary of PPL Corporation that provides electricity delivery services to about 1.4 million customers in Pennsylvania, has consistently ranked among the best companies for customer service in the United States. More information is available at www.pplelectric.com.