There have been delays in completing a street improvement project in the city of Bel Aire, two years after construction began. Work on the project has stopped and the city is working on testing and inspections to determine when it can be started again.
Bel Aire Mayor Jim Benage provided an update on Facebook on the project to improve Woodlawn between 37th and 45th Streets North. He said the wheel paths in the east lanes are deforming, cracking, slipping, and sinking. The city has hired a firm to take soil samples and results will be studied by the project engineers, the Bel Aire City Engineer and the Kansas Department of Transportation. Benage said a plan will then be developed for repairing the east lanes and finishing the project. As soon as this plan is developed and put in place, it will be shared with the public.
With winter weather approaching, the work will likely be delayed until the spring. The city will take some temporary measures to provide a safe route through the winter. In the meantime the city will continue to have northbound traffic in the middle lane with traffic cones in place. The traffic light at 45th Street North will continue to be a four way stop.
Benage said in his statement, “We are frustrated with the slow progress, but we need to be very intentional on how we proceed. Not doing so, could cause the City even more problems.”
[ photo: KWCH ]
