An unusual rash of sidewalk projects is leading to some unusual complications, including one for a most welcome of reasons.

First, a frustrating complication: Sidewalk construction is on hold along the east side of Iowa Street, from Harvard Road to University Drive, after officials learned that a new waterline was scheduled to be installed at the site within the next few months.

The shallow ditch opened up for a pouring of concrete now is filled, instead, with a temporary stretch of crumbled limestone similar to that found atop the Kansas River levee in North Lawrence.

“The neighborhood understands,” said Cindy McNicholl, who lives at the corner of Iowa and Oxford Road. “I know the neighborhood needs improvements, but we want to make sure the improvements are made efficiently and (in a) timely (manner).”

Shoeb Uddin, city engineer, said that he instructed the contractor, R.D. Johnson Excavating, to hold off pouring the sidewalk until the waterline could be installed.

On Thursday, he said the waterline should be installed and sidewalk in place within a couple of months.

The sidewalk project is part of a $350,000 contract to fill in some major sidewalk gaps in town. R.D. Johnson Excavating landed the contract, and soon got to work.

That’s where the welcome complication comes in.

R.D. Johnson recently started working to install a new sidewalk along the south side of 15th Street, from Brook to Harper streets, and soon encountered a complication of its own: a utility pole in the path of the soon-to-be-poured sidewalk.

A utility — either Westar Energy or AT&T, Uddin said — had not yet managed to move its pole, leaving R.D. Johnson with a choice: Postpone the project until the pole had been moved, or pour the rest of the sidewalk while leaving a hole where the pole stands.

R.D. Johnson went with option three: Pour the entire sidewalk, including the section that surrounds the pole, and then deal with the consequences later.

“He’s moved really fast on the sidewalk project,” said Chuck Soules, the city’s director of public works. “When they’re ready to go, they’re ready to go.”

R.D. Johnson will be responsible for returning to the site to replace the section of sidewalk that will be damaged once the pole is relocated, Soules said. Uddin expects that work to be finished within a couple of weeks.

The complications at the two sites will not require the city to spend any additional money to get them rectified, Uddin said.