City works to widen Sixth St.

In a few weeks, city officials expect to strike a deal with the Kansas Department of Transportation on widening west Sixth Street between Wakarusa Drive and Kansas Highway 10.

“We’re still in the discussion stage, but we’re getting close to wrapping things up,” said Assistant City Manager Dave Corliss.

The City of Lawrence annexed 700 acres needed to expand Sixth Street to four lanes and install a median between Wakarusa Drive and Kansas Highway 10. This aerial photograph shows Sixth Street, running from east to west (right to left) across the top third of the photo. The intersection of Sixth and Wakarusa is near the upper righthand corner. Harvard Roard west of Wakarusa is the curving road at the bottom right, running from the east at right toward the southwest at bottom of frame.

Plans call for KDOT taking bids on the project in 2004, and the work being completed by 2006.

The project is expected to cost about $17 million, of which the city of Lawrence will put up $5 million. The rest $12 million will come from state funds.

Last year, city officials annexed 700 acres needed to expand Sixth Street to four lanes it’s two lanes now and install a median between Wakarusa and K-10.

The annexation represented the single largest addition of developable land to the city since the Alvamar development was annexed in the 1960s.

When it’s finished, Corliss said west Sixth Street would “be similar to Clinton Parkway west of Iowa four lanes, a median and limited access.”

He added, “This has been a priority for a number of years in anticipation of continued growth.”

Some residents of the area have complained about development that appears headed their way. But land-ownership records show much of the annexed property is owned by holding companies that city officials say are waiting for development opportunities.

Indeed, of the four tracts leading off the annexations, only one is owned by a private individual: Edward Wang. The other tracts are owned by The World Company parent company of the Journal-World and Rock Chalk Ranch Partnership.

The Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Commission recently began deliberations on plans to build more than 100 homes on 52 1/2 acres about a mile south and east of Sixth and Wakarusa.

The Sixth Street expansion is not expected to affect deliberations on whether to allow “big-box” commercial development at the northwest corner of Sixth and Wakarusa.

Last June, Lawrence city commissioners voted 4-1 to reject plans for a 53-acre “big box” development after weighing concerns that the project exceeded restrictions spelled out in Horizon 2020, the city-county long-range planning guide. Also, a KDOT memo warned that area traffic was already growing more quickly than the roads can handle.

For the southwest corner, developers have proposed building 31 retail structures and three restaurants.