Memorandum
City of Lawrence
Public Works
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TO: |
David L. Corliss, Cynthia Boecker, Diane Stoddard |
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FROM: |
Chuck Soules |
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CC: |
Dena Mezger, Shoeb Uddin |
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Date: |
November 28, 2007 |
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RE: |
KTA Projects |
The N. Michigan Street Bridge will be reopened December 6 and the N. Iowa Bridge will tentatively be closed the following day, December 7. The contract completion date for the N. Iowa Street Bridge is June 17, 2008. News releases and portable message boards will be used to notify the public of exactly when the N. Iowa Street Bridge will be closed. Posted detour routes include Douglas County Road 438, K-10, 6th Street, Kasold Drive, and Peterson Road.
In 2008 the KTA will embark upon the replacement of the Kansas River Bridges. These bridges were constructed in 1955 and are approaching the end of their useful life. The schedule and construction phasing includes: bid letting scheduled for May 2008, starting date of June 2008, and completion mid-2011. This is one of single largest projects the KTA has undertaken, with an estimated cost of $140 million.
The Kansas River Bridge project includes new bridges with six lanes, new toll plaza with additional lanes at East Lawrence (Plaza 204), and interchange ramp improvements at the east and west Lawrence (Plaza 204 and 202) exits. At the completion of this project there will be six lanes of traffic on the KTA through Lawrence.
Phase 1 of the project begins with the May 2008 bid and is expected to last through mid-2009. Phase 1 will include a new westbound bridge over the Kansas River and ramp improvements at Plaza 202 (west Lawrence). There will be no westbound access to and from Plaza 202 for approximately eight months. Traffic heading west will need to use the east Lawrence exit (Plaza 204), or the Lecompton exit (Plaza 197).
During Phase 1 the city will be rebuilding the intersection at 2nd and Locust. Undoubtedly, additional traffic will exit the KTA at the east Lawrence exit (as the west Lawrence exit will be closed for westbound vehicles). The city project will maintain at least one lane of traffic in each direction at all times. ICL and North Lawrence have been included in discussions about traffic. Trucks going to ICL will be detoured onto Lyon Street and Third Street. Maintaining one lane of traffic through/under the railroad bridge will create tight/narrow lanes; therefore, the speed limit during construction will need to be 20 m.p.h.
Phase 2 will begin in mid-2009 and last for approximately one year, or mid-2010. All traffic will be moved to the westbound bridge with two lanes in each direction. The original bridges will be removed and the eastbound bridge constructed. Plaza 204 (east Lawrence) will be closed to all traffic for approximately eight months. The west Lawrence exit (Plaza 202) will be opened at this time.
Phase 3 will include the completion of the eastbound bridge and other miscellaneous tasks. Total completion is expected in 2011.
David Jacobson and Rex Fleming from the KTA will attend the December 4, 2007 City Commission meeting to discuss the KTA projects and schedule.
Respectfully submitted,
Charles F. Soules, P.E.
Director of Public Works
CFS/je
Attachments: Construction Information