In a road construction season when most local projects were completed on schedule and with a minimum of traffic disruption, the intersection of Sixth and Wakarusa streets stands out – not in a favorable way.

Reduced and poorly marked lanes have created dangerous and congested conditions at this busy intersection for months. Especially frustrating is that it appears that now the major obstacle to returning traffic to normal is work to install largely cosmetic brick medians leading into the intersection.

The Sixth Street entrance to the shopping area on the southwest corner of the intersection has been closed for months, and two driveways on the east lead to makeshift and poorly configured lanes on Wakarusa Drive. Access to the shopping area on the southeast corner of the intersection is only slightly better.

Wakarusa Drive is not only a major thoroughfare for residential areas in west Lawrence but also a major access point for Free State High School. The brick medians in this area no doubt will be attractive when they are completed, but motorists right now would settle for an intersection that moves traffic along efficiently in clearly marked lanes.

City and state officials should do what they can to speed the completion of this project and improve the safety and traffic flow in the area in the meantime.