photo by: City of Lawrence

A City of Lawrence map shows the construction area for a street and infrastructure project on East 23rd Street.

The approximately 18-month-long project to reconstruct a portion of East 23rd Street is on schedule and will begin its second phase this week.

The City of Lawrence began reconstruction of the road and adjacent infrastructure at the end of June 2022, and the project will move into its second phase beginning Thursday, according to a city news release. The project is currently scheduled to finish construction by the original completion date of December.

The project will completely reconstruct East 23rd Street from the Haskell Bridge to about 600 feet east of Anderson Road. The project includes new concrete pavement, curbs and gutters, storm sewers, traffic signals and shared-use paths on both sides of 23rd Street. The project will also include improved transit facilities, an added signal for pedestrian crossings at Ponderosa Drive and the replacement of three water mains.

Traffic flow has been restricted and redirected on the four-lane roadway throughout the project in order to complete the work. Beginning Thursday, crews will maneuver the two-way traffic from the north side of 23rd Street to the south side. During the transition, the traffic signals at Haskell Avenue and Harper Street will be in an all-way flash for approximately four hours.

As the rollout of the second phase continues throughout the year, side streets and driveways off of East 23rd Street will need to be reconstructed. This reconstruction may temporarily affect how some properties are accessed, but access to all properties will be maintained at all times. These impacts will be announced in advance of construction through the City of Lawrence’s weekly traffic updates. Residents can sign up for weekly traffic updates, as well as other City of Lawrence news, on the city’s website, Lawrenceks.org.

There are more than 50 properties in the work zone, and the city states it will continue to work in a manner that best helps residents, business owners and travelers throughout the project. More information about the project and resources for affected businesses are available at lawrenceks.org/mso/east-23rd-reconstruction.