The Mingo County Commission (MCC) made progress toward the opening of the Twinbranch Motorsports Complex at its regular meeting this week.

American Electric Power (AEP) representatives Cliff Nicholson, engineering technician, and Jerry Peyton, customer service engineer, spoke to the MCC about the process of running power lines to the facility.

Getting power to the track will require 4,400 feet of overhead line and 6,400 feet of underground line, Nicholson said.

“We submitted a price of $141,000,” he said.

But, he explained this price included the power company doing all the work, including clearing trees and other obstructions. The Commission asked for a new estimate, based on contracting some of the work out to a different company.

“The second proposal is $88,236.22,” Nicholson said.

“Once one of the right-of-ways are acquired, our company would work with your contractor, supply maps and go over the project with them.”

AEP would have to approve the clearing before construction could start on the actual power lines, Nicholson said.

Mingo County Grant Coordinator Leigh Ann Ray said the owner of the property, who will have to grant the right-of-way, is Heartwood Forest Land, a company which usually charges $700 per acre for easements.

Since the cost of the project will be over $25,000, the MCC will have to advertise for bids for the job, MCC Attorney Glen Rutledge said. However, if a company other than AEP constructs the lines, the power company could not be responsible for any problems that may arise from the line.

The Commission is currently weighing the options of having AEP perform the work and having a contractor clear the land and install the lines