WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — It’s a road project whose planning began last decade and should have been complete nearly three years ago.
In summer 2023, as construction was entering its final phases, the City of Bel Aire discovered that the newly reconstructed Woodlawn Boulevard was unstable and sinking. It eventually led to a lawsuit against the engineering and construction firms involved, as well as the inspection company that signed off on it and the bonding company.
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The City of Bel Aire now said Tuesday that the nightmare will soon be over. Work will begin April 20 on the complete reconstruction of Woodlawn Avenue between 37th Street and 45th Street North, with work divided four phases.
- Phase 1: Quail Ridge Street to Rodeo Street with estimated work time of two months
- Phase 2: Rodeo Street to Woodlawn Court with estimated work time of five months
- Phase 3: Woodlawn Court to 45th Street North with estimated work time of five months
- Phase 4: Quail Ridge to 37th Street North with estimated work time of two months.
During the first three phases, the section of the road under construction will be fully closed.
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The work will involve removing the unstable subsurface soil and installing drainage systems to deal with groundwater problems that caused the road to begin sinking. Once complete, the road will feature two lanes with a center turn lane, curbs and public sidewalks between 37th and 45th Street.
The cost of the new Woodlawn expansion project is estimated at $7.8 million. The Kansas Department of Transportation is covering the costs of construction while the city’s lawsuit against the firms involved with the original project continues…