Another stretch of Sixth Street is getting a fresh coat of asphalt.

Work started this morning on a project to repave Sixth between Arizona Street and Arkansas Street.

The stretch of U.S. Highway 40 reaches for 1.6 miles. That’s from just east of Kasold Drive all the way east to the edge of the Old West Lawrence neighborhood.

Crews spent the day grinding off old asphalt and preparing the area for minor work. The project involves replacing curbs and gutters as needed, before getting ready to put down a new road surface.

Today’s street work reduced traffic down to one lane in each direction, something that could become a familiar sight in the weeks ahead. The new pavement will be installed during overnight hours. The entire job is scheduled to be finished by July 30, weather permitting.

Access to properties will be maintained, although the work may close some drives for short periods of time, according to the city.

The project is part of the Kansas Department of Transportation’s program to maintain streets that connect to major highways. Sixth (U.S. 40) connects with Kansas Highway 10 and also McDonald Drive, which serves as the access road to the Kansas Turnpike’s West Lawrence entrance. The city will receive up to $200,000 to help finance the project, with the city responsible for paying anything more, according to City Manager Mike Wildgen.

A paving project for Kasold Drive along both sides of Sixth Street was to begin today and last through Wednesday. Traffic delays are expected oas contractors close lanes for paving.