photo by: City of Lawrence

The intersection of 23rd and Massachusetts streets is pictured through a city traffic camera, Thursday afternoon, May 30, 2019.

Motorists in Lawrence should be prepared to slow down as road crews work on millions of dollars worth of projects throughout the spring and summer.

The city has several ongoing road projects and others that will begin in coming weeks. Below is a summary of the major summer roadwork in Lawrence, including construction schedules provided by City Engineer Dave Cronin.

Projects beginning soon:

• Intersection of Sixth and Tennessee streets: Plans call for the construction of a right turn lane from Sixth Street onto Tennessee Street. The approximately $500,000 project aims to improve traffic flow on the roadway. The city received a $250,000 grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation to help fund the project. The project is scheduled to begin in June or July with completion in September.

• Contracted street maintenance: The city budgeted about $3.2 million for street maintenance and $400,000 for curb and gutter rehabilitation for this year. Those projects will occur throughout the city beginning in June and July and will be completed in the fall. The city’s website provides maps of all the projects that will be completed this year.

Ongoing projects:

• 23rd Street, Louisiana Street to Massachusetts Street: The $1.15 million project will widen 23rd Street between Louisiana and Massachusetts streets to install a center turn lane. The project also calls for the replacement of waterlines and the installation of 7-foot-wide sidewalks along the roadway. The project began in fall 2018 and will be complete in July.

• East Ninth Street: The street will be reconstructed from Pennsylvania Street to New Hampshire Street. The approximately $2.5 million project began in summer 2018 and after delays is now expected to be completed in July.

• Kasold Drive: The street will be reconstructed from Sixth Street to Bob Billings Parkway. The $5.9 million project began in March 2018 and after delays is now expected to be completed this summer. Specifically, the roadway from Sixth Street to Bob Billings will be complete in the next one to two weeks. Pavement reconstruction at the intersection of Bob Billings and Kasold will begin in June and will be complete this summer.

• 19th Street: The $3.9 million project will reconstruct the roadway from Iowa Street to Naismith Drive. A federal grant is paying 80% of the $2 million cost to construct pedestrian tunnels under the intersection of 19th Street and Iowa Street. The project began in the spring and will be finished in August.