Last week, KVOE News told you street paving was coming soon for the US Highway 50 renovation project between Prairie and Graphic Arts. That work is underway, although work later in the week is increasingly questionable due to the weather forecast.
The city of Emporia says the project contractor is set to finish paving the center turn lanes before starting the mainline paving process Tuesday.
The city is reminding drivers the US-50 intersections at Prairie and Industrial will close to through traffic, although not simultaneously. In fact, the north leg of the Industrial Road intersection closed Monday. The plan is to close the Prairie Street intersection Tuesday for up to 60 minutes at a time so crews can pave one lane each both Tuesday and Wednesday. There will be a detour route associated with the closures for up to a day each.
With the mainline work set to begin, some business access drives may be closed for up to an hour so the hot mix asphalt can be poured and have time to cool. Once that happens, the drives will reopen.
Paving may have to dodge raindrops and other weather activity for much of the rest of the week. Showers and thunderstorms enter the forecast picture early Thursday and continue through at least Sunday, with storms likely Thursday through Friday.
The project started April 8 and should last into mid-May.
