Drivers can expect major delays on the Kansas Highway 10 bypass around west Lawrence beginning Friday when the Kansas Department of Transportation resumes a resurfacing project that began last summer.

Weather permitting, KDOT said, the project will begin at 7 a.m. Friday on the 8.4-mile stretch from the Kansas Turnpike exit to U.S. Highway 59.

Traffic in both directions will have varying lane closures during daytime hours for pavement patching work. A flagger operation will be used to direct traffic.

Beginning Monday, traffic will be reduced to one lane in both directions, and there will be intermittent closures of adjacent cross roads. KDOT will use flaggers and a pilot car to control traffic through the single open lane.

Drivers can expect delays as long as 15 minutes during those times. The speed limit will be reduced to 55 miles per hour along a 12-foot-wide lane. KDOT encourages drivers to use alternate routes if possible.

The scheduled completion date of the project is late May, KDOT said.

23rd Street overpass

Meanwhile, KDOT said, the overpass bridge on East 23rd Street between Haskell and Barker Avenues was fully opened to traffic on Tuesday.

With the exception of minor landscaping that remains to be done, KDOT said the bridge replacement project is now complete and the final landscaping work should have little or no impact on traffic.

Downtown bridges

KDOT also said the U.S. Highway 40 bridges over the Kansas River leading in and out of downtown Lawrence will open to unrestricted traffic Thursday after the evening rush hour.

Inspection work on the bridge bearings was completed Tuesday, and the bridge repair project will now be suspended for about a month.

During that time, KDOT said, new bearings will be fabricated so the repair project can be completed. KDOT said it will announce when the project is to resume.