Crews for R.D. Johnson Co. Inc, continue work Oct. 19 on the .63 million project to rebuild the intersection of North Second and Locust streets. When the project started at the end of July officials were confident that northbound traffic would be flowing again by December. Now Kansas Department of Transportation officials are saying the intersection won’t be open by Jan. 1.

Turns out the traffic-constricted intersection of North Second and Locust streets likely won’t be reopening by New Year’s Day, after all.

Reconstruction work will continue to limit traffic in the intersection to a single lane going south through the end of January, the Kansas Department of Transportation reports.

The intersection originally had been scheduled to have a single lane open in each direction by Nov. 15, but several complications — including those involving the project’s design, soil conditions and existing underground structures — led to delays, said Shoeb Uddin, city engineer.

While Uddin bristles at KDOT’s projected schedule — “KDOT’s time is just an estimate, but is not a time that we’ve agreed on or resolved with the contractor,” he said — the engineer acknowledges that the work could stretch beyond Jan. 1.

Or it could allow through-traffic by Dec. 31, provided the weather cooperates.

“We’re working holidays, Saturdays and Sundays to get this finished up,” Uddin said. “(The contractor) and city staff are working to get this finished as quickly as possible.”

R.D. Johnson Excavating Co. Inc., Lawrence, is general contractor for the $2.63 million project to rebuild the intersection to include turn lanes, drainage improvements, a new underground water line and a smoother profile for through-traffic.

Much of the project’s first phase is already complete, Uddin said: A new water line is installed; new drainage pipes are in place 20 feet below ground; and most of two new retaining walls are in place. Still left is pavement north of the intersection, up to the Union Pacific overpass — work that is contingent on relatively warm weather.

The entire project remains set for completion in April.

A detour has been in place since July 30 for traffic heading north toward the intersection, from downtown Lawrence. Traffic heading south is squeezed into one lane on North Second.