photo by: Douglas County GIS

23rd Street, from its intersection at Ousdahl Road, at left, to the intersection at Naismith Drive, at right, is pictured in this aerial photography provided by Douglas County Geographic Information Systems.

Construction on 23rd Street will affect traffic beginning this fall.

The Lawrence City Commission at its Tuesday meeting approved a $2 million project for the busy street.

David Cronin, city engineer, said the first phase of the project — mill and overlay from Ousdahl Road to Louisiana Street — would begin in the next month. The city is working with contractors to establish the phasing of the project, he said.

Construction crews will shut down one lane in both directions during the mill and overlay on 23rd Street. Cronin said the mill and overlay between Ousdahl Road and Louisiana Street would be split into two sections: Ousdahl Road to Naismith Drive and Naismith Drive to Louisiana Street.

“They will start with the outside lanes and then move into the inside lanes for each phase,” he said. “The traffic control will be changing as the contractor moves through the project.”

The mill and overlay from Ousdahl Road to Louisiana Street is expected to finish sometime this fall.

While the mill and overlay is occurring, construction crews will begin replacing 2,500 feet of cast iron waterline that runs from Louisiana Street to Barker Avenue, which was originally placed in the 1950s. The pipe replacement is expected to finish in the spring.

After the waterline is reconstructed, construction crews will begin to mill and overlay the street from Louisiana Street to Learnard Avenue. That portion of the project is expected to begin in the spring.

Combining the projects allows the city to resurface 23rd Street after the waterline is replaced, which would provide a uniform street surface from Iowa Street to Learnard Avenue.

The project will also include placing a center turn lane on 23rd Street from Louisiana Street to Massachusetts Street. All construction of the project is expected to be finished by summer of 2019.

Cronin said the project was possible in part because of funding from the Kansas Department of Transportation. When KDOT constructed a new pathway for Kansas Highway 10 south of town, moving the highway off 23rd Street, it agreed to fund $800,000 of the city’s plan to repave 23rd Street.

“We have the funds to do a substantial amount of this project (because of the agreement),” Cronin said.