Lower speed limit sought on U.S. Highway 40 area

First United Methodist Church won’t need to install new turn lanes outside its campus along U.S. Highway 40 at the northwestern edge of Lawrence.

Douglas County commissioners decided, on a 2-1 vote, to allow the church to avoid installing turn lanes on U.S. 40, west of the South Lawrence Trafficway. The lanes originally were envisioned by the Kansas Department of Transportation as needed to safely accommodate operation of a preschool at the church.

But now that the preschool is open, KDOT has determined that existing traffic conditions don’t spur a need for such lanes — construction work that would have been expected to cost the church about $300,000.

Nancy Thellman, commission chairwoman, voted in the commission minority.

“I want the public’s concern about safety to be paramount,” she said.

Commissioner Jim Flory offered an alternative: requesting that KDOT establish a 45 mph speed limit in the area, to slow traffic from the current 55 mph outside the city limits. Commissioners unanimously agreed to send a letter to KDOT, seeking just that.

“On a dangerous highway, that’s probably all we can and should do,” Flory said.