The narrow culvert on North 1500 Road just east of Lawrence will be replaced next year as part of Douglas County Public Works project that will close the well-used route to Eudora and the East Hills Business Park for an extended time.

The completion of two bridge projects recently pretty much brought to an end Douglas County’s 2016 construction season.

Douglas County Public Works Director Keith Browning said the bridge replacement on County Road 458 about a quarter mile east of East 1600 Road was finished Nov. 23. Completed Monday was the deck replacement on an East 1000 Road bridge over the Kansas Turnpike.

The county also replaced a bridge this year over Washington Creek in Lone Star, Browning said.

There remains one small project of two culvert replacements on East 150 Road just north of North 450 Road, which county crews are expected to complete Friday, Browning said.

The county resurfaced last spring County Roads 1W and 1E near Lone Star Lake, but the county’s 2016 construction season lacked big road projects that closed well-traveled roadways, such as last year’s improvements to County Road 1055 between Baldwin City and Vinland. Such a project does highlight public works’ 2017 capital improvement list, which is slated to get underway early next year with improvements to a 5-mile stretch of County Road 458 west of U.S. Highway 59.

The $3.4 million project will upgrade CR 458 from East 800 Road north of Lone Star east and north to near its junction with North 1150 Road, which turns north to become East 900 Road over Clinton Dam. Work will include replacement of undersized culverts, installation of paved shoulders, flattening roadway slopes and pavement resurfacing. Three 40 mph curves on the section will be upgraded to accommodate 55 mph traffic. The section is the only stretch of CR 458 west of U.S. 59 without those improvements.

The county still has to secure easements for the project and relocate utilities, Browning said, but it is anticipated the project will be bid in February with construction slated to start in March, he said.

Also on tap for 2017 is the replacement of the narrow culvert just east of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad crossing on North 1500 Road, which is 15th Street in Lawrence. The road is a popular back route to and from Eudora and the East Hills Business Park.

“That will be a very significant project,” Browning said. “A lot of people use that road.”

Browning said that project, too, is to be bid in February with construction slated to start in March. There’s no timeline on the construction because the project will also involve relocation of a stream bed near East 1625 Road and replacement of a large culvert on 11th Street, or North 1550 Road, he said.

The county will also be involved with the relocation of the access road to the Douglas/Jefferson County landfill off U.S. Highway 24, Browning said. Because a new roadway is being constructed, there will be little disruption of traffic except for the final tie in the existing access intersection, he said.