photo by: Journal-World

The west side of the Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St.

Douglas County commissioners on Wednesday will review the county’s five-year capital plan that includes major investments in roads, bridges and county buildings.

The 2027-2031 Capital Improvement Plan outlines plans for transportation investments, bridge replacements, and long-term courthouse and other upcoming building projects. The presentation on the CIP will be given during a work session ahead of county commissioners’ regular business meeting. Commissioners will not take action on Wednesday, as it is for informational purposes only.

The county uses two separate funds for infrastructure projects. The administration capital fund pays for county building and facility projects, while the Douglas County Public Works capital fund is often dedicated to transportation improvements, including bridge projects, culvert replacements and road safety upgrades.

At the start of 2026, the administration CIP fund held nearly $66 million, while the Public Works CIP fund had $19.7 million. Combined, the county’s CIP fund balance totaled $85,713,318 – an increase of approximately $55 million compared with the beginning of 2021.

One of the largest projects in the CIP is the Wakarusa Drive extension project, located south of K-10 Highway. The project will extend Wakarusa Drive across the Wakarusa River to connect with East 1000 Road, as the Journal-World reported. The total project cost is estimated to be $11.7 million.

There are also plans for projects at the Douglas County Historic Courthouse over the next several years. Those plans include renovations inside the building, including a third-floor remodel and common area improvements. The county is also planning for window improvements at the courthouse.

The county is also making a significant investment in replacing and repairing bridges. The CIP has multiple bridge projects that have been moved into the 2027 construction season because of deteriorating conditions or because they coincide with other transportation work. An example is the North 1800 Road bridge over Baldwin Creek, which was accelerated in order to be completed before the Kansas Department of Transportation reconstructs the Lecompton K-10 interchange.

IN OTHER BUSINESS, COMMISSIONERS WILL:

• Consider a temporary business use permit for gas company Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline to operate a temporary laydown yard northeast of the intersection of East 902 Road and North 1464 Road from July 27 through Oct. 31, 2026.

The site would temporarily store construction materials and equipment for relocating a 2.22-mile section of natural gas pipeline due to the K-10 Highway improvement project. To minimize impacts, trucks would be prohibited from accessing the site using North 1464 Road, and the applicant would be required to post warning signs where the temporary entrance crosses the Lawrence Loop trail and repair any traffic-related trail damage.

• Consider terminating the state of local disaster declaration for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Commissioners approved the declaration May 13 because the county was expected to host the Algerian soccer team as a base camp, bringing temporary increases in population, media, security needs, and demands on infrastructure and public services.

• Hold an executive session for the purpose of consulting with legal counsel for Douglas County regarding pending litigation.

The County Commission will hold a work session at 4 p.m. Wednesday in the Douglas County Commission meeting room at 1100 Massachusetts St. The business meeting will follow at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will also be available via Zoom.