A week delayed, major traffic flow changes are coming as Emporia’s 24th and Prairie waterline replacement project nears the end.
The city has confirmed plans to open up the intersection of 15th and Prairie starting Monday. Along with this comes the full closure of 12th and Prairie as crews connect the new 24-inch water main to the existing main under the intersection. There will be a signed detour for vehicles, notably heavy trucks. This is expected as a 3- to 4-week project.
Crews were tentatively set to open Prairie at 15th and close Prairie at 12th on April 21, but the 15th and Prairie intersection had issues with a pressure test on April 18.
Crews have been working for almost a year to install new pipe, much of it 24-inch diameter, from the Water Treatment Plant at 24th and Industrial east to 24th and south to 12th. The overall project should finish by late May as the city begins its latest major infrastructure project — the Southeast Waterline Transmission Project from 12th and Garfield to the water tower near South and Carter. Work on Southeast could begin by late May or early June and continue to late 2026.
