Get ready for orange-and-white barrel season in Topeka.

On Thursday morning, city leaders unveiled a list of major street projects that will get underway this spring, some starting as soon as next week.

Jason Peek, the city's public works director, said the street projects are being approached "systematically," with the goal of addressing the most pressing needs while providing a minimum of traffic disruption over the next few months.

"For us," Peek said, "this is the kickoff of good things to come."

Among major projects slated for 2019 are:

• S.E. Adams from S.E. 33rd to S.E. 37th streets. The project is set to get under way on Monday, April 1. The completion date is set for Oct. 25.

• S.W. 17th to S.W. 21st from Washburn Avenue to S.W. Clay. Work is scheduled to start Monday, April 1. This will be Phase I of improvements in the Chesney Park neighborhood. Completion is slated for Nov. 15. Phase II of the project, set for 2020, will include the area between S.W. 17th and S.W. 21st from S.W. Clay to S.W. Western.

• S.W. Gage from S.W. 25th to S.W. 29th. Work is set to begin Tuesday, April 2. Work is scheduled to be finished by Aug. 9.

• S.W. Arvonia at the S.W. Winding Road intersection. Work will begin Monday, April 8, and is scheduled to be completed Sept. 20. The work will include rerouting Winding Road to the southwest, starting near the Sam's Club gas station, so that it connects closer to the new Hilton Garden Inn motel. A traffic signal will be placed at the intersection when the work is completed.

• N.W. Vail to N.W. Frontage Road. Work will begin May 13. It is scheduled for completion by Sept. 13.

• N. Kansas Avenue between Morse and Soldier. A summer start date is listed. Completion is slated for the fall.

Other projects are scheduled for the Clarion Woods neighborhood in southwest Topeka and the Tennessee Town neighborhood of central Topeka.

Keith Duncan, city project manager, said street work will vary according to need. Some projects will entail major street reconstruction. Others will focus on preventive maintenance or repairs.

Duncan noted the city embarked on a microsealing and crack-sealing program in 2018 that proved successful, with 83 lane miles completed.

This year, Duncan said, the city will be "amping up" those programs, with 125 lane miles targeted for crack-sealing and 100 lane miles slated for microsurfacing. The work primarily will be done in the east, southeast and northeast parts of the city. The hope is that the work will add five years to the streets' life.

City leaders on Thursday expressed thanks to the citizens of Topeka for renewing a half-cent sales tax in the November election. Funds from the sales tax will be used to help pay for the street projects.

While the major street projects are ongoing, city crews will continue to work on patching potholes that cropped up during this past winter.

Jaci Vogel, deputy director of public works for the city, said problems with potholes and road deterioration are common across much of the Midwest after the harsh winter, which had numerous instances of snow, ice and rain.

Vogel said four new patch trailers recently were purchased to replace four older trucks that had proven costly to maintain.

The new patch trailers, which are self-contained units, are capable of containing both cold and hot asphalt and related supplies needed to repair potholes.

"They're filling hundreds of potholes every day," Vogel said of city crews. "We're trying to catch up with the backlog."

Mike Ketter, a maintenance worker for the city, has been using a new patch trailer for the past few weeks.

"I like it so far," he said of the trailer. "It does a good job."

The biggest challenge, Ketter said, is the sheer number of potholes that need to be repaired. Crews have been working seven days a week to put cold asphalt patches on the potholes. Hot asphalt, which is more effective, should be available starting sometime in April.

As the patching work continues, Ketter said, the city is "gaining some ground" on filling potholes on Topeka streets.