Roadwork: Sixth and Iowa streets project progressing

Lawrence:

• Crews have moved into the next phase of a project that will add a turn lane to the intersection of Sixth and Iowa streets. Sixth Street will be widened for the installation of a dedicated westbound left turn lane. The outside westbound lane of Sixth Street will be closed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, for construction work north of the intersection. There will be two lanes available for east- and westbound traffic before 9 a.m. and after 4 p.m. on weekdays and all times on weekends. Traffic speeds are reduced at this time.

• A project is underway to construct a new diamond interchange at Kansas Highway 10 and Bob Billings Parkway/15th Street in Lawrence. Work will take place during daylight hours, Monday through Friday, with some occasional Saturday work. Crews have begun setting traffic control for the project. Early project work will include clearing vegetation in preparation for grading work that will take place adjacent to K-10 for the new interchange. There will be minimal to no traffic impacts with this first phase as work is taking place off the existing roadway. Motorists can expect minor adjacent roadway closures as project work progresses. The overall scheduled completion date for the project is early November 2015.

• The city is installing a new water line on Mississippi Street, from Third to Ninth streets. Project timeline is June 25 to Feb. 1, 2015.

• City crews are working on a waterline replacement project on Forrest Avenue from Learnard Avenue to Maryland Street and Maryland Street from East 15th Street to Forrest Avenue. There will be no parking and the road will be closed to through traffic, Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The project is expected to last until Sept. 30.

• Westbound 11th Street at New Jersey Street will be closed Aug. 4 to Aug. 15 for sanitary sewer repairs at the 1000 block of Connecticut Street. Traffic control devices and detour will be in place to direct traffic. Eastbound 11th Street will remain open to traffic.

• As part of the emergency repair work on 12th Street, from Ohio to Louisiana streets, contractors have closed the intersection of 12th and Ohio streets to begin replacing the storm sewer underneath 12th Street. This work is expected to keep the intersection of 12th and Ohio streets closed until Aug. 18. A temporary surfacing will be placed in the intersection of 12th and Louisiana streets to allow northbound travel on Louisiana Street while Ohio Street is closed.

• A project to improve Ninth Street began July 14. The initiative includes sidewalk improvements on the south side of 9th street between Emery Road and Arkansas Street and the installation of new signal pole bases. One lane of eastbound traffic will be closed during this sidewalk construction. Phase 3 of construction was slated to begin the week of Aug. 4. Phase 3 includes the mill and overlay of 9th street between Avalon Road and Arkansas Street. Once new pavement has been placed, new pavement markings and signal poles will be installed. Various lane closures will be required for this construction. At least one lane will be open at all times for east and westbound traffic.

• Wakarusa Drive is down to two lanes from Oread West Drive to north of Legends/Inverness Drive. Inverness Drive at Wakarusa Drive will be closed for the first phase through September. Legends Drive at Wakarusa Drive will be closed for the second phase from September to November. The rehabilitation project is expected to be finished Nov. 24.

• Construction continues on intersection improvements at 23rd and Iowa streets. Traffic will be shifted to the south and west sides of the intersection for the next phase of construction. Each approach to the intersection will have a dedicated left turn lane and one thru lane. No large structures or superloads will be allowed through the project work zone. The entire 23rd and Iowa project is due for completion in November.

• Eastbound and westbound 31st Street from Louisiana Street to Ousdahl Road and Louisiana Street, just south of 31st Street, will be closed to all traffic. Motorists will be able to turn north on Louisiana from 31st Street or east on 31st Street from Louisiana. This closure will remain in effect through summer 2015, weather permitting. The 31st Street closure is needed for the construction of a bridge-size box culvert and the reconstruction/realignment of 31st Street. The Louisiana Street closure is needed for the construction of the relocated 31st Street slab bridge over Naismith Creek.

• Northbound and southbound Louisiana Street south of Broken Arrow Park and eastbound and westbound 31st Street west of Wakarusa Township Fire Department will be closed to all traffic in Lawrence on Monday, Aug. 4 at 12:00 p.m. through Spring 2015, weather permitting. This will extend the current Louisiana Street closure from Steve’s Place business entrance to Broken Arrow Park entrance (including the intersection of 31st and Louisiana streets). The existing 31st Street closure will extend east to the Wakarusa Township Fire Department entrance, meaning 31st Street will now be closed from Ousdahl Road to the Wakarusa Township Fire Department entrance.

• Milling and patching is taking place on streets generally near Fifth and Sixth and Tennessee streets, working toward Indiana Street. The area generally east of Iowa Street and north of Sixth Street encompasses the entire work zone. There may be locations that will include partial or full street closures for periods while work is being performed, especially those days that surface treatment work (overlay or microsurfacing) is performed. Streets may be impacted on separate occasions. The work is anticipated to be completed in August.

• Indiana Street from Third Street to Burcham Park is now open, and access to the water crane on Indiana Street has been restored. Construction activity is ongoing in the area as well as within Burcham Park. The work on the Kaw Water Treatment Plant transmission main is scheduled to be complete in September.

• During construction on the Kaw Water Treatment Plant raw water intake, an area in Burcham Park is fenced off with no public access to the river bank parking and playground equipment areas. Temporary access to the Kansas University Boathouse and park shelter area have been constructed around the work area. The access restrictions are expected to remain in place until work is completed in October 2014.

• Northbound and southbound Haskell Avenue from 27th Street to 31st Street will be reopened to traffic with the following traffic restrictions in Lawrence on Monday, Aug. 4 at 9:00 a.m., weather permitting. Southbound traffic on the relocated Haskell Avenue must turn right (west) onto 29th Street, then left (south) onto the existing Haskell Avenue. Northbound traffic on the existing Haskell Avenue must turn right (east) onto 29th Street, then left (north) onto the relocated Haskell Avenue. HiPer Technology’s existing business entrance off of the existing Haskell Avenue will be closed, and the new business entrance for HiPer Technology will be on the east end of 29th Street.

• Route 458 (North 1200 Road) is closed from East 902 Road (the lower Clinton Dam road) to US-59 highway for improvement projects. The roadway is expect to reopen by Oct. 31, weather permitting. A signed detour will be established. The detour follows US-59 highway to K-10 highway (SLT) to East 900/North 1150 Road. (the upper road on Clinton Lake dam). Local access to properties within the road closure will be maintained throughout the duration of the project. While Route 458 is closed for construction, people traveling to the west and south sides of Clinton Lake from Lawrence should use Route 442 (Stull Road) and Route 1023/458 south from Stull. People traveling to the same area from the south should use US-56 highway (North 300 Road) to Route 1029 (East 550 Road). People wishing to access the Clinton Lake marina area and northeast portion of Clinton Lake should use Clinton Parkway or K-10 highway (SLT) to E 900 Road (the upper Clinton Lake dam road).

South Lawrence Trafficway:

• In December, a three-year construction project began to complete the 6-mile, four-lane Kansas Highway 10/South Lawrence Trafficway freeway. The project will move existing K-10 onto a new alignment that will begin at the south junction of the U.S. 59 and K-10 interchange and reconnect with existing K-10 in East Lawrence. Construction work on the project will be completed in phases. Each phase includes specific work and advance notification will be sent under separate cover for each phase of construction, including planned traffic impacts. The overall scheduled completion date for the project is fall 2016.