Funding is the biggest hurdle to finish the South Lawrence Trafficway, Lawrence’s mayor said Thursday.

“Whatever route is chosen, finding the funds for construction will be the real challenge,” Mayor Boog Highberger said during an hourlong online chat Thursday on the Journal-World’s Web site, ljworld.com.

The project has been bogged down so long it has fallen out of the funding plans of the Kansas Department of Transportation.

“I think we have a better chance of securing funding if we can identify a route that has greater community acceptance than the 32nd St. route,” Highberger wrote.

The mayor told a questioner he agreed that improvements are needed to 31st Street intersections.

“But it will be difficult to justify spending a large amount of money on intersection improvements if there is a possibility that the intersections will be radically changed, as they would be under the 32nd Street proposal,” Highberger said.

• Chat transcript with Mayor Boog Highberger (09-08-05)

The mayor also discussed the possibility of curbside recycling in Lawrence, which was one of his goals upon being elected.

He said he didn’t support city-sponsored curbside recycling at this time because of costs, the low market for recyclables and because private curbside recycling is already available, he said.

Readers can find a full transcript of the chat at www.ljworld.com.