A public access road to Hamm Landfill, 16984 Third St., used by both Douglas and Jefferson counties, may undergo some construction in the near future, said Douglas County Director of Public Works Keith Browning.

Wednesday afternoon Douglas County commissioners will consider a motion to cooperate with Jefferson County for the project, Browning said.

The access road off Kansas Highway 24, north of Lawrence, is decades old and curved, which creates a safety issue for the truck traffic heading to and from the landfill, Browning said.

“Hamm approached us and requested if the road could be realigned,” he said. “There have been situations where trucks have gone off the road, especially when there are icy conditions. It’s a little bit problematic for trucks.”

Construction, which is estimated to cost about $400,000, will be paid for by the Landfill Road Maintenance Fund, Browning said. That fund, which currently holds about $516,000, gains revenue by taking a 15 cent per ton surcharge on all waste delivered to the landfill.

If commissioners approve the motion to cooperate with Jefferson County, Douglas County can move forward in hiring an engineer to develop plans and put out bids for the construction, Browning said. Construction would likely not begin until 2016.

Douglas County Commissioners meet at 4 p.m. each Wednesday at the Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St. The meetings are open to the public.

Also on this week’s agenda:

• Commissioners will consider extending the duration of three temporary construction easements for the City of Lawrence’s sewer mains within Broken Arrow Park.
• Commissioners will consider accessing Houston Galveston Area Council, Missouri Department of Transportation and Kansas Department of Transportation contracts for equipment for public works.
• Commissioners will also consider appointing one position each to the Board of Zoning Appeals and the Joint Economic Development Council.

A full agenda can be found online at www.douglascountyks.org.