Although they don’t talk about it much anymore during their twice-weekly meetings, Douglas County commissioners are poised to spend plenty of time next year wrangling with an issue that simply won’t go away.

Its name: The South Lawrence Trafficway.

The highway project still unfinished after voters approved the concept 12 years ago would connect the Kansas Turnpike northwest of Lawrence with Kansas Highway 10 southeast of town.

But the eastern section of the road remains in doubt, with federal officials poised to choose between one of two directions for completing the four-lane highway:

A 32nd Street alignment, through the Baker Wetlands, at a cost of $105 million.

A 42nd Street alignment, running south of the Wakarusa River, for a cost of $128.5 million.

That decision is expected to come by year’s end. And while commissioners already are preparing to deal with a handful of other major issues in the coming year such as reviewing development standards in growing rural areas, and driving to keep up with road-maintenance needs the elected officials are certain to be instrumental in the trafficway decision’s aftermath.

A 32nd Street plan would push the county to relinquish its ownership of 31st Street, between Louisiana Street and Haskell Avenue, as outlined in an agreement negotiated with Baker University and the Kansas Department of Transportation. The section of road, through the Baker Wetlands, would be given back to Haskell Indian Nations University, which is north of the road.

KDOT would build a new section of 31st Street about 500 feet to the south, which would be off Haskell’s campus but north of the new trafficway.

The 32nd Street plan also would include relocating Louisiana Street and Haskell Avenue to the edges of an expanded wetlands area, and include enough land to widen the roads to four lanes in the future. Water lines that serve residents of Baldwin and surrounding areas would be moved out of the wetlands, where they have faced maintenance challenges because of environmental regulations.

“This all comes at no cost to us,” said Commissioner Bob Johnson, who has been leading the county’s trafficway work. “This is a huge, huge plus for Douglas County. It would be big time really big time.”

But Commissioner Charles Jones said he still isn’t sold on the idea.

“I still think we’re going to see (city) growth south of the Wakarusa River, and that’s probably where this road needs to be,” Jones said.

42nd Street plan

The 42nd Street plan would not be financed by the current administration at KDOT, officials have said, although the next administration which takes office in January could see fit to finance any project it likes.

But as it stands now, a plan south of the river would not include the abandonment of 31st between Louisiana Street and Haskell Avenue. Instead, commissioners would be left to consider extending the existing street east and into a connection with K-10.

Such an eventuality is known to commissioners as a “de facto trafficway,” because 31st would be left to carry traffic east of town from the existing trafficway, which currently ends with a bridge over Iowa Street.

“We would have no choice,” Johnson said.

Jere McElhaney, commission chairman, said he agreed with Johnson that the trafficway should be completed along the 32nd Street alignment.

Commissioners’ background

All three county commissioners are serving four-year terms, during which the county has wrestled with the trafficway and other issues. A brief look at each commissioner’s background:

Johnson represents the second district, which covers North Lawrence, much of southeast Lawrence and eastern Douglas County. The Republican is a retired insurance executive who remains a co-owner of Charlton-Manley. He also is a co-owner of the I-70 Business Center, 1035 N. Third in North Lawrence. He previously served as commission chairman.

Jones represents the first district, which covers virtually all of Lawrence north of 15th Street, including the Kansas University campus. The Democrat is a former director of environment for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment in Topeka. Jones’ commission seat is the only one up for election in November, and Jones is poised to be re-elected as no Republicans filed as candidates to oppose him; he also was unopposed during the Democratic primary in August.

McElhaney represents the third district, which covers much of southwest Lawrence and western Douglas County. The Republican is serving a yearlong term as the commission’s chairman. McElhaney is owner of McElhaney Fence Builders, 716 N. Second St.

McElhaney is a former volunteer firefighter, and his father, Louie McElhaney, previously served as a commissioner.