Stull Road already is getting a $1.4 million overhaul west of Lawrence, but Douglas County officials donâÂÂt want to stop there.

A 1.5-mile section of the road – formally known as County Road 442 – also would get a fresh layer of pavement immediately west of U.S. Highway 40, as outlined in the countyâÂÂs proposed capital improvement plan.

The plan would finance covering both lanes and extending the pavement 6 feet onto each gravel shoulder. Slated for financing in 2004, the project would cost $215,000 and connect with the ongoing reconstruction of Stull Road west of County Route 1029, which is expected to be finished in April.

The combination would add up to improved safety for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians along the popular commuter route, said Keith Browning, county engineer and director of Public Works.

Whether the total package gets done remains up to commissioners.

âÂÂThereâÂÂs obviously a lot of projects that need to be done âÂÂ:quot; many more than we have money for,â Browning said.

The Stull Road project is one of 17 being considered for addition to the countyâÂÂs current spending plan for major projects. The county tentatively plans to spend $3.9 million a year on such projects through 2006.

Of next yearâÂÂs $3.9 million allocation, about $750,000 remains available for new projects.

âÂÂWeâÂÂre starting the discussions,â said Pam Madl, the countyâÂÂs director of administrative services.

Along with a handful of other road and building plans âÂÂ:quot; including several with no estimated price tags âÂÂ:- three bridge projects are among those being considered for addition to the capital improvement budget:

l Replace the Kasold Drive bridge over the Kansas Turnpike, likely in 2006. The county would be expected to cover $400,000 of the estimated $1.44 million cost to replace the 48-year-old two-lane bridge with a new four-lane bridge with 10-foot-wide shoulders. The bridge carries about 2,500 vehicles per day.

⢠Replace the County Road 442 (old Kansas Highway 10) bridge over Captain Creek, east of Eudora. The project, penciled in for 2004, would cost the county an estimated $549,500. The bridge last was rebuilt in the 1930s. The bridge carries about 500 vehicles per day.

⢠Replace the deck of the County Road 1029 bridge over the Kansas River at Lecompton, likely in 2004. The project would cost $3.1 million. The new concrete deck would be installed one lane at a time, allowing the bridge to remain open to traffic during construction. The bridge handles about 5,000 vehicles per day.

Commissioners are scheduled to discuss proposed additions to the capital improvements budget during their meeting at 9 a.m. Monday at the county courthouse, 1100 Mass.