photo by: Nick Krug

With Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations university commencements finished and Lawrence schools breaking for the summer next week, Lawrence motorists will soon see some detours and delays with upwards of 30 road projects planned around the city.

“The city works very hard to condense the construction season into a tight timeframe, generally between commencement in May and the return of students in August,” said city spokesman Megan Gilliland. “Although construction can be frustrating and cause delays at times, the city works with our contractors to phase projects to keep roads partially open and maintain access to homes and businesses.”

Here’s a rundown of what’s coming and what’s already started:

19th Street and Ousdahl Road

photo by: Nick Krug

Lawrence received City Commission approval earlier this week to bid an approximately $685,000 project to reconstruct the 19th Street and Ousdahl Road intersection. The site will be the future entrance to Kansas University’s under-construction Central District.

The construction is a joint project between the city and KU, with KU paying for traffic signals and all construction north of 19th Street.

The city closed the intersection after KU Commencement May 15, and it will remain closed until August. The city will work on Ousdahl Road south of 19th in August and September.

Bob Billings Parkway

In November, the City Commission decided on a host of improvements to Bob Billings Parkway west of Kasold Drive, which city staff said was needed because of the expected increase in traffic from Kansas Highway 10.

Closures will begin in mid-summer, with lanes being open again in August. Traffic signal and sidewalk installation will start in late summer and continue into the fall.

Projects along the stretch of Bob Billings include a reconfiguration of lanes between Kasold Drive and Crossgate Drive to include a center left turn lane. The city will also mill and overlay the street from Kasold Drive to Wakarusa Drive.

Traffic signals will be installed at the intersection of Bob Billings Parkway and Stone Meadows Drive, as well as the intersections at Inverness Drive and Bob White Drive.

The city plans to fill in a sidewalk gap on the south side of Bob Billings Parkway between Monterey Way and Inverness Drive.

The intersection at St. Andrews Drive will be graded down in order to improve site distance.

Lastly, a right turning lane and bus turnout will be constructed at Bob Billings and Kasold.

Lawrence has budgeted $2,250,000 for design and construction of all the improvements, but City Engineer David Cronin has said it’s likely to cost more because city commissioners chose to add a traffic signal at Bob White Drive. City commissioners will be asked Tuesday to approve a bid date for the project.

1100 block of Mississippi and Indiana streets

photo by: Nick Krug

As part of the development of HERE Kansas — an apartment and retail structure east of Memorial Stadium — both Mississippi and Indiana streets from 11th to 12th streets are now closed until May 31.

Reconstruction of the streets will include sewer improvements, on-street parking spaces, a bus turnout, new sidewalks and landscaping.

Construction on the new development will continue through July, and portions of the street and sidewalk will be closed until then.

The city’s share of the improvements is approximately $258,000.

Eighth and New Hampshire streets

A local development group led by Doug Compton and Mike Treanor is adding four stories of apartments to the old Pachamamas building at 800 New Hampshire St.

Because of the construction, there have been partial lane closures in the area, and there will continue to be until August. The city says two-way traffic will be maintained throughout the project.

The partial closure will continue to extend down New Hampshire from Eighth to Ninth streets prior to the opening of 888 Lofts this fall.

Sixth Street and Champion Lane

City staff identified the need for a traffic signal at Sixth Street and Champion Lane, which serves as an entrance to Bauer Farms, because of the increased development in the area.

The approximately $350,000 project is expected to start in June and end in July.

The south side of the intersection, which serves as an entrance to Dillons, will also be improved as part of the project.

North Sixth Street in North Lawrence

In September, the City Commission awarded a nearly $6 million contract for a new pump station at the intersection of Maple and Sixth streets in North Lawrence.

The station is now 90 percent complete, and that intersection has been reopened. But work continues along North Sixth Street between Walnut and Elm streets as the road base and curbs are replaced.

The project will continue through 2016.

Resources Construction updates: lawrenceks.org/construction Subscribe to weekly construction reports from the city at lawrenceks.org/subscriptions Interactive map of street construction: lawrenceks.org/construction/map

Iowa Street

Iowa Street is the site of a couple projects this summer.

Parts of Iowa Street have been closed since March for workers to install a new waterline. Those partial lane closures will continue from 27th street to 31st street until June 12, utilities department spokesman Jeanette Klamm has said.

Another project on Iowa Street is expected to start later this summer.

Iowa Street from 23rd Street to 31st Street will be resurfaced through the Kansas Department of Transportation’s City Connecting Link program. The program provides state funds to cities to repave city streets that serve as highways.

11th and Rhode Island streets

Work to the storm sewer system near 11th and Rhode Island streets is expected to be complete by the end of May. The ongoing project has caused closures along Rhode Island and temporary closures on 11th Street.

West Campus Road

Kansas University is planning a facelift to Memorial Drive that will take two or three summers to complete.

The city’s share of the work is West Campus Road, at the end of Memorial Drive. The city is closing West Campus Road from university Drive to Crescent Road this summer for reconstruction.

KU reporter Sara Shepherd has reported that KU closed Memorial Drive the day after commencement. The project, totaling $3.1 million in its first phase this summer, includes slope stabilization, improved parking and new lighting.

West 15th Street

The eastbound lane of West 15th Street, near the Iowa Street intersection, will be closed this summer to widen the street and add a right-turn lane.

photo by: Nick Krug

Randall Road and Cynthia Street

Temporary closures on Randall Road and Cynthia Street will continue until July 15 while workers install a new waterline.

Michigan, Arkansas and Florida streets

The installation of a new waterline and water main north of Sixth Street has been in the works since October and is expected to be complete in July.

The project has caused temporary closures on Arkansas from Seventh to Ninth streets; on Michigan from Second to Seventh streets; on Seventh street from Michigan to Arkansas; and on Florida from Third to Fourth streets.

There are parking restrictions in the area, but access for drivers has been maintained.

Harvard Road

Work started May 2 to install a new waterline on Harvard Road from Crestline Drive to Wellington Road.

When Lawrence schools break for the summer next week, the stretch of road will be closed, but residents will have access. The city will close the Harvard and Wellington intersection for two weeks sometime during the construction.

The project is expected to be complete in August.

Other surfacing and patching projects

In February, the City Commission approved $2.8 million in pavement improvement projects for 2016. Work is just getting started on those projects and will continue to late August.

The list of projects includes the resurfacing of Iowa Street. The other projects are:

• 11th Street from Massachusetts Street to Connecticut Street: Mill, overlay and curb replacement

• New Hampshire Street from Sixth Street to 11th Street: mill and overlay

• Michigan Street from Sixth Street to seventh Street: mill, overlay and curb replacement

• Seventh Street from Michigan Street to Arkansas Street: mill and overlay

• Lawrence Avenue from Sixth Street to Harvard Road: mill and overlay

• Lawrence Avenue from Bob Billings Parkway to Harvard Road: microsurfacing and patching

• Harvard Road from Lawrence Avenue to Kasold Drive: mill and overlay

• Harvard Road from Wellington Road to west of Iowa Street: microsurfacing and patching

• Wellington Road from Harvard Road to West Ninth Street: microsurfacing and patching

• Steven Drive from Lawrence Avenue to Wellington Drive: microsurfacing and patching

• Centennial Drive from Yale Road to Harvard Road: microsurfacing and patching

• West Ninth Street from Wellington Road to Schwarz Road: microsurfacing and patching

• West Ninth Street from Rockledge Road to Iowa Street: microsurfacing and patching

• Yale Road from Crestline Drive to Centennial Drive: microsurfacing and patching

• Schwarz Road from West Ninth Street to West Sixth Street: microsurfacing and patching

• Rockledge Road from Yale Road to West Ninth Street: microsurfacing and patching

• Crescent Road from Naismith Drive to Engel Road: microsurfacing and patching