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Q. For the past couple of weeks, I have noticed these brown, rusted poles pop up along Trinity Road (near the RBC Center). The poles are extremely high, and some are equipped with what looks like a pulley system. I'm curious what these poles are for.

-- Katie Bright

A.These are poles that will carry electric transmission lines, according to Mike Hughes, a spokesman for Progress Energy.

The company began erecting the poles within the past couple of months, Hughes said.

They are part of a new transmission line that will run between a substation on Blue Ridge Road and a new one being built on Trenton Road.

"The reason it's needed is because of the tremendous growth in west Raleigh area, particularly around RBC Center," Hughes explained.

The poles on Trinity Road are among 49 that will run along the route -- 23 of the type that you see on Trinity Road.

The poles are 110-feet tall and they will carry 230,000 volts of electricity.

They should be in service by November of this year, Hughes said.

The lines that already are attached to the poles are distribution lines. The pulleys that you see on the poles are there to raise the transmission line. That should be done starting in June, Hughes said.

One curious thing about the poles: They look like they've been there for years even though they haven't even gone into full operation.

That's not some sort of flaw; it's intentional.

"They are designed to oxidize early so that it blends in better with the surrounding environment," Hughes said.