Local motorists may have noticed in recent weeks that traffic is becoming more constricted across Emporia. That’s due to a rare set of circumstances that have led to multiple major improvement projects running consecutively.
Improvement efforts began back in January with a waterline replacement project on 12th Ave. near Newman Regional Health. Eastbound through traffic remains closed as the project continues.
Emporia City Engineer Jim Ubert says the project is roughly 60 percent complete and continues as waterline improvement efforts began on Mar. 28 on Sixth Ave. (US Highway 50.) That project to replace a six-inch line has brought traffic in both directions down to one lane from Lincoln to Woodland and will span over the next several months with substantial completion expected in July according to Ubert.
Monday, a third project began on County Road 180 and West 18th Ave. to install a sanitary sewer line as part of the Evergy relocation to the area. Ubert says having so many major projects underway at a single time was not planned, however, several outside factors led to the need for the consecutive work zones.
He says material procurement actually pushed back the 12th Ave. project by several months.
He says this is what led to the Sixth Ave. project running concurrently with the work on 12th as that project’s timetable was actually set at the state level.
Ubert says the city has plans for additional major improvement projects as the year continues, however, details of those endeavors are not available at this time. He says it is unlikely the city will have multiple projects running consecutively in the near future.
If you have questions or concerns contact the City Engineering Department by calling 620-343-4260 or email eng@emporia-kansas.gov.
