Street crews move signs and cones off of 23rd St. on Dec. 15, 2023.

Lawrence businesses are celebrating the end of the construction on 23rd Street — some with special deals and giveaways — and are excited to welcome residents back to the area.

The challenges of the 18-month project were at times disheartening, but at the Advantage Medical Group, 1104, E. 23rd St., they did everything they could to maintain a positive attitude and to accommodate customers even when the construction necessitated that the entrance to their business be closed completely, said office manager Laura Brady.

She said that they spent thousands of dollars to bring in rock to build a temporary driveway in the back of their offices as many of their chiropractic patients are disabled and couldn’t navigate walking through the neighboring ditches to get to the office. That driveway was ultimately used by neighboring businesses as well.

photo by: Chris Conde/Journal-World

Dr. James and Laura Brady at Advantage Medical Group, 1104 E 23rd St. on Dec 15, 2023.

Their clients would get caught in the construction traffic for 30 minutes or longer which meant late appointments or missed appointments altogether. She said she would receive calls from people asking where the office was, and when she told them they were on 23rd Street, those potential new clients would decide not to come.

“Some people didn’t come to this side of town, or drive all the way around, or miss their appointments because traffic was backed up for half an hour,” Brady said.

In an effort to invite customers back, Brady orchestrated a customer appreciation event on Friday where the office handed out care packages and offered free massages to clients. The office also gathered items and services from neighboring businesses that it gave away as door prizes to its clients.

Brady said she is grateful for the contractors who worked on the project who were always communicative about when services would be turned off or about the construction but she is eager to get back to business as usual.

Another business excited to get back to normal is Club Carwash, 1040 E. 23rd St.

“Since the road has been closed, obviously, people have taken different routes and just expect to be waiting in traffic forever,” said general manager Savana Hook.

She said not only were customers discouraged due to the traffic but also because through much of the construction, parts of the road were covered in dirt and gravel, and people didn’t want to get a car wash only to drive down a dirty road.

“You’re getting dust and concrete and rocks everywhere and no one wants to get their car washed just to go back through it,” Hook said.

photo by: Chris Conde/Journal-World

General manager Savana Hook at Club Carwash, 1040 E 23rd St., on Dec. 15, 2023.

She said they tried to run different promotions to encourage customers to come but that mostly the business had to grin and bear it and just keep a positive attitude that the construction would eventually end. She said she is really thankful for the regular customers who did continue to use their service.

In an effort to reward those customers and to entice new ones, the car wash is running a promotion through Dec. 24: A car wash at the 23rd St. location will only cost $1.

“That’s obviously to say thank you and hopefully bring some traffic back through here and make sure no one forgot about us,” Hook said.

Another business hoping to see its numbers improve is City Thrift, which isn’t in the business of selling products in Lawrence directly but is a donation center that distributes second-hand items to its stores throughout northeast Kansas, said shift supervisor Matthew Strain. City Thrift has several retail locations throughout the area whose profits go toward helping the homeless, Strain said.

“This is going to be fantastic because it gives us more business. Our highest record right now for donations here is 38 people in one day,” Strain said.

photo by: Chris Conde/Journal-World

Shift supervisor Matthew Strain at City Thrift, 955 E 23rd St., on Dec. 15, 2023.

City Thrift relies on people to drive through and donate items like furniture, books, clothes and more, but with the construction limiting traffic, Strain said those donations have probably been far less than what they might have been. Strain said that the shop is open seven days a week and now that the construction has ended he expects to meet many new Lawrence residents.

Construction on 23rd Street began in June of 2022 after two years of planning, said Michael Leos with Lawrence’s Municipal Services & Operations in an email to the Journal-World. The $15.1 million project not only managed to stay on budget but also finished within the timeline contractors predicted, Leos said.

“We will finish the project with less than 2.5% change orders, which is great for a $15 million project,” Leos said.

The construction focused on creating a multimodal corridor with improved bicycle, pedestrian, and transit facilities, Leos said.

Leos said the project includes:

• 41,823 square yards of new concrete pavement

• 16,388 linear feet of new curb and gutter

• 11,447 square yards of new concrete sidewalks and shared use paths

• 5,578 linear feet of 24-inch water transmission main

• 10,825 linear feet of 12-inch water distribution main

• 25 new fire hydrants

• 7,300 linear feet of new storm sewer pipe

• 72 new storm sewer inlets and manholes

• A full replacement of the traffic signal at 23rd & Harper and a new HAWK pedestrian signal at 23rd & Ponderosa Drive.

photo by: Chris Conde/Journal-World

Street crews move signs and cones off of 23rd St. on Dec. 15, 2023.

Street crews work to install a new sign on 23rd St. on Dec. 15, 2023.