photo by: Bremen Keasey/Journal-World

Construction crews along Tennessee Street near the corner of Ninth Street in Lawrence replacing the sidewalk. Pedestrian improvements along Tennessee Street have been funded by a just over $450,000 federal grant.

Sidewalks around a key corridor near downtown Lawrence are getting an upgrade thanks to a federal grant.

Crews have been replacing sidewalks along multiple portions of Tennessee Street and implementing ADA-compliant sidewalks and curb ramps thanks to a Community Development Block Grant, a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Michael Leos, a spokesperson for the city’s Municipal Services and Operations department, told the Journal-World via email that as part of the project, which cost just over $450,000 and was covered entirely by the federal grant according to a city memo, is replacing both sides of sidewalks along Tennessee Street from West Ninth Street to West 10th Street, the west side of Tennessee Street from West 12th Street to West 14th Street and both sides of West 14th Street from Tennessee to Kentucky Streets.

Work on the project, which started on Sept. 29 according to Leos, involved a couple of lane closures along Tennessee Street, including closing the left lane of the road between Ninth and 10th streets and part of the right lane between 12th and 13th streets. Leos said traffic impacts during the closures have been “minimal,” noting all work replacing the sidewalks is expected to be completed by the end of next week. The only remaining impact to traffic or pedestrians will be that the curb ramp at 12th Street and Tennessee Street will remain closed until mid-January. Leos said there was a delay on getting materials for underground storm water work in that area, which “needed to be completed before the ADA curb ramp replacement” could start.

photo by: Bremen Keasey/Journal-World

Construction work around the corner of 12th Street and Tennessee Street in Lawrence where one lane has been closed as part of a sidewalk replacement project. City crews have been working along the Tennessee Street corridor since September to improve sidewalk infrastructure, with funding from the project covered by a federal block grant.

Areas around Tennessee Street have been abuzz with construction activity this year. The street was closed to through traffic between Sixth and Ninth street in April as part of work for the Jayhawk Watershed Middle Reach Project. That section has reopened but is still limited to one lane as work on that project continues.

Additionally, an area of Ninth Street just west of Tennessee Street closed this month as part of that stormwater project. Ninth Street between Indiana Street and Louisiana Street was closed off, and will remain closed until July 2026 after the City Commission Tuesday night did not request that staff reopen that stretch ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.