Quick work speeds Kasold reopening

Contractor to finish job early

Photo by Richard Gwin. Journal-World File Photo. Enlarge photo.

Jeff Sauer, with R.D Johnson Excavating Co. of Lawrence, smooths dirt in the median on Kasold Drive between Bob Billings Parkway and 22nd Street in this file photo. Construction crews will work throughout the summer on multiple roads in Lawrence.

Year-long construction project on Kasold nears end

The year-long project on Kasold Drive nears a long-awaited end as crews put the finishing touches on 6 million dollars worth of repairs. Enlarge video

It won't be much longer before a new stretch of Kasold Drive is finished.

For the past year, motorists on the west Lawrence thoroughfare have dealt with construction crews, two lanes of traffic and a 20 mph speed limit that's been strictly enforced.

"Very slow - very, very slow," said motorist Donna Benton when describing traffic on Kasold. "Can't be in a hurry."

Now workers are putting the finishing touches on $6 million worth of repairs and rebuilding on the road, between Bob Billings Parkway and 22nd Street. The stretch of Kasold could completely reopen - to four lanes and a 40 mph limit - by the end of July, more than three months ahead of plans.

"All the pavement is done and we're doing real good on the schedule," Chuck Soules, the city's public works director, said Thursday.

The upgrades make the road less hilly and less prone to potholes, he said. A wide new sidewalk has been added on the west side.

"We don't have to worry about it falling apart in the winter; that's one good thing," Soules said.

Soules said dry weather in the fall helped speed repairs. Contractor incentives didn't hurt either; every day work finished ahead of the Oct. 11 deadline, the contractor, R.D. Johnson Excavating Co., gets $2,000, with a maximum of $100,000.

"There is an incentive," Soules said. "We anticipate that he's going to get all of it."

RKLOG 5 years, 11 months ago

Go Jeff, go! Smooth dirt like the wind!

gccs14r 5 years, 11 months ago

Too bad they didn't build it to boulevard specs while they were at it. It'll have to be done eventually. I just love wasting tax dollars doing things twice.

JayhawkAlum03 5 years, 11 months ago

I'm so glad that they decided to put in a sidewalk on Kasold with this work. As the only direct north-south route for a good mile or so in each direction, that will be really nice for bikers and runners. No more running up the middle of the median!

Ghost78 5 years, 11 months ago

I googled "boulevard specs" with no luck, exactly what are those standards?

otto 5 years, 11 months ago

One of the captions says they are putting the finishing touches on repairs. Repairs won't be finished until the end of July. That's alot of finishing touches.

Kontum1972 5 years, 11 months ago

the 20 mph is way tooooooooooooooo..slow now..just wait till its open.....60-75 mph will be the ideal speed..concrete is fast...and no stop lights until the bottom of the hill at hyvee.....

Baille 5 years, 11 months ago

"Quick work?"

Seriously?

Anonymous user otto (Anonymous) says: "One of the captions says they are putting the finishing touches on repairs. Repairs won't be finished until the end of July. That's alot of finishing touches."

Maybe a braided network of traffic calming devices is what they mean by a "finishing touch."

My understanding is that a boulevard is four lanes divided by a center turn lane and uses both left- and right-turn lanes at intersections. This would be the spartan Midwestern definition, not the one that also includes median landscaping.

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