How much longer do Lawrence residents want to be the butt of jokes within the Kansas Department of Transportation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, federal highway officials and every other state or federal agency that deals with highways?

How much longer do local residents want to put up with years of delay in completing a long-overdue and badly needed trafficway? Where is the concern about the massive cost increases for the South Lawrence Trafficway?

How much longer are the wishes of the majority of local residents going to be held hostage to various showboat-type campaigns to stall and delay the SLT?

How much longer are local residents going to buy into the argument that the Baker “Wetlands” are a natural, century-old wetlands when, in fact, it was farmland until relatively recent years?

The current wetland area that is so sacred to some was created by man not too many years ago, and any damage that might be inflicted on it can be repaired. Also, plans call for many additional acres of wetlands to be added to the area when the road project moves ahead.

Delay tactics have been used for years to try to stop the 31st or 32nd street alignment of the SLT. Once a particular delaying scheme is proven worthless, false and ineffective, those fighting the road come up with another reason the road would be a terrible intrusion into this area.

This has been going on for years, at least 20 years, and if some individuals have their way, it will continue for another 20 years or longer.

At some time – the sooner the better – some official or some office must have the courage to say everyone has had more than ample time to protest the project and now it is time to move forward.

It’s becoming a bigger and bigger joke with Lawrence looked upon as a city that can’t get its act together on highways, as well as in many other areas.

Who, for example, in their right mind would suggest the best way to design and build a trafficway would be to place roundabouts at every intersection? This trafficway is needed to provide motorists a multilane route that is a quicker and safer route around the city. Lawrence officials have gone nuts on roundabouts, and now someone thinks they are the answer for the SLT.

What will be needed are express-type exits and entrances to the trafficway, not roundabouts, either the dime-sized models or the larger designs like the one at the west end of Clinton Parkway.

It is unfortunate that some in Topeka and Washington, D.C., may think the city is united in its opposition to the 31st and 32nd street routing. An official letter was sent to the Federal Highway Administration saying the Lawrence City Commission is opposed to the 32nd Street route. The fact of the matter is that three of the five commissioners were opposed to this route while two commissioners favored it.

The letter should have made it clear the Lawrence position was divided. Mayor Mike Amyx and Commissioner Sue Hack should have been allowed or had the courage to offer an opposing view to the one expressed by Commissioners Mike Rundle, Boog Highberger and David Schauner.

Highberger has said he thinks there would be a severe and damaging split within the community if the road is built along the 31st or 32nd street route. There already is a severe split, but those whose wishes have been delayed and delayed have not resorted to threats, playing politics or making demands.

It is understandable that some may be opposed to a 31st or 32nd street route for the trafficway, but they have had more than ample time to try to prove their case.

Whenever some specific reason has been offered as to why the SLT should not be built along the northern edge of the wetlands, officials have examined the objections and found them lacking. At one time, the argument was that a rare frog inhabited the wetlands and that a trafficway might eliminate this rare species. This was debunked. Some said the wetlands had been a burial ground for children who attended Haskell Institute. Professional search crews were unable to locate any such graves.

Not long ago, a group of supposedly well-intentioned individuals claimed hundreds, if not thousands, of salamanders would be killed while crossing a road on the north edge of the wetlands. They announced plans to assemble people with buckets standing by to carry the salamanders across the current 31st Street when the next migration took place.

The “noise” factor has been introduced into the argument and, in the past, officials have said they would consider building sound barriers to minimize any disruptive sound that might drift northward to Haskell Indian Nations University.

There are bound to be other arguments and reasons suggested to oppose and delay the project, but it is long past time to move ahead. What is it about Lawrence that seems to make it more difficult, more time-consuming and more costly for the city to move ahead?

Lawrence is indeed a special city, but it isn’t a special city because of long, costly delays in worthy, sound projects. It’s a special city because of the vision and courage of past generations that were motivated primarily by what was best for the city and its residents, not something that would line their own pockets or benefit them politically.

The South Lawrence Trafficway is not a project to enrich any individual. It is good for the city. Any damage or harm to the so-called wetlands is minimal and can be corrected. The footprint of the wetlands is property that federal and Haskell officials determined to be surplus land, which they transferred to the city, the county and school district and eventually to Baker University.

It’s time for some action and backbone.