FirstEnergy Corp. expects to complete the construction of and energize a newly upgraded 69-kV transmission line in Pittsburgh's North Hills district by the end of January, the company said.

The $17.5 million upgrade will benefit Pennsylvania Power Co.'s service areas, including Mars, Seven Fields Borough, Wexford, Adams, Cranberry and Pine townships, according to a Jan. 18 company release. It involved replacement of old infrastructure with a new set of wood poles, installation of about seven miles of wire on 120 wood structures within the existing right-of-way and installation of remote control switching devices.

The project was carried out as part of FirstEnergy's Energizing the Future initiative, a $4.2 billion to $5.8 billion program that aims to strengthen transmission infrastructure from 2017 to 2021.