From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Sept. 15, 1974:

• A bridge bond issue of between $10 million and $11 million was expected to appear on the ballot of the 1974 November general election in Douglas County. The issue, the largest to date ever asked for in the county, was to pay for over 50 county bridges and the Kansas River bridge in Lawrence. Preliminary estimates of the Lawrence bridge had been received by county commissioners today; the consulting engineer firm had estimated the project cost at $4,974,482. The bridge was to be built in two stages, with a two-lane 28-foot span beginning at North Second Street and branching west connecting at Vermont Street. The present bridge was to be removed after the first section was finished, and replaced in its current location. The Vermont Street section, which was to carry southbound traffic when the project was finished, was estimated to cost $2,130,355. The second section, which was to be constructed to years after the first section, was estimated at $2,884,482 because of a 10 percent inflation factor. The total $4.9 million bridge cost did not include the costs of approaches and grading, which were to be paid by the city.
• It was about three to four weeks early, but farmers in eastern Douglas County were already starting to harvest this year’s corn and milo crops. They were attempting to save what they could of the corn crop, which had first been ravaged by summer drought and which were now falling over from too much moisture. Although corn was reported by several officials as being extremely wet throughout the county, milo was rated “very good” at the Farmers’ Union Co-Op elevator in Lawrence.