MIDDLEBURY — A series of utility pole replacements along East Bethany Road is part of an ongoing New York State Electric & Gas infrastructure upgrade.

Crews have been advancing northbound from the village of Wyoming since Monday. They’ve been replacing utility poles one-by-one along the stretch of road.

New poles were laid out for about two miles in preparation.

“This is an upgrade designed to increase the safe and reliable delivery of electric service to our customers in the area,” said spokesperson Shelby Cohen of Avangrid, of which NYSEG is a subsidiary. “It is part of our overall investment into the NYSEG grid, which is a multi-billion dollar commitment over many years.”

The work is part of an ongoing project to upgrade and replace lines, circuits and poles in the surrounding area. It will replace about 10 miles of electric distribution infrastructure serving more than 1,400 residents and businesses.

Among other advantages, it will allow people’s electricity to be restored more quickly in the event of weather-related power failures.

Completion is expected by the third quarter of this year, Cohen said. The exact schedule depends on a series of factors including weather and procurement of needed materials.

NYSEG serves 881,000 electricity customers and 263,000 natural gas customers across more than 40 percent of upstate New York.