Douglas and Jefferson counties will soon partner up to straighten and repair a public access road to Hamm Landfill, 16984 Third St., which is used by both counties and the general public.

Douglas County Commissioners approved the partnership at their weekly meeting Wednesday afternoon.

The access road off Kansas Highway 24, north of Lawrence, is decades old and long overdue for an overhaul, said Douglas County Director of Public Works Keith Browning.

Money for the project, which will cost an estimated $400,000, will come from the Landfill Road Maintenance Fund, Browning said. That fund currently holds more than $516,000.

Now that the partnership was approved by commissioners, the counties can hire an engineer to develop plans before putting the construction work out to bid, Browning said. Work will 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 at this week’s meeting:

• Commissioners approved extending the duration of three temporary construction easements for the city of Lawrence’s sewer mains within Broken Arrow Park.
• Commissioners approved accessing Houston Galveston Area Council, Missouri Department of Transportation and Kansas Department of Transportation contracts for equipment for public works.