To the editor:

Why not agree on a south-of-the-river bypass and forget the obsolete trafficway concept? Spend tax dollars on a more practical application. Introduce appropriate plans designed to meet future needs, a plan that could bring Johnson, Douglas and Leavenworth counties together as partners. This requires bridges across the river. All three counties would benefit, thus would assist funding the project. Then, turn the entire road project over to the Kansas Turnpike Authority.

A south-of-the-river route would join County Road 1057 and Kansas Highway 10 to carry traffic north to Interstate 70 by way of I-70 connectors meeting a Tonganoxie turnpike interchange.

This concept accomplishes many things. It services:

¢ Johnson and Douglas counties’ traffic going to northwest Lawrence or Topeka.

¢ the Eudora Business Park east of 1057.

¢ East Hills Business Park and the southeast Lawrence industrial park.

¢ the Lawrence airport.

And it:

¢ diverts traffic around the city.

¢ keeps the SLT out of the wetlands.

¢ reduces congestion for morning and afternoon commuters.

¢ might save Douglas County taxpayers millions of dollars.

¢ is a practical and prudent use of tax dollars.

¢ eliminates the need for an eastern bypass.

¢ eliminates much large truck traffic on 23rd Street.

¢ allows KTA fees to pay for the highway and the maintenance.

Building a road through the wetlands at any cost at this point in time is simply not prudent use of Douglas County tax dollars.

Richard Heckler,

Lawrence