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16 November 2023
BEL AIRE, Kan. (KSNW) — A road project in Bel Aire, nearing completion, is paused due to a sinking road.
The project is to rebuild Woodlawn between East 37th Street North to East 45th Street North.
On the east side of Woodlawn near 45th Street, the road is deforming, cracking, and sinking.
The City of Bel Aire is trying to figure out what is causing this after first noticing the problem in August.
It’s leaving hundreds of drivers stuck with a long-running construction zone after two years of work.
“Well, it’s been a pain,” said Bel Aire resident Ron VanEtten.
“It’s been a little frustrating, but it’s understandable,” said Bel Aire Resident Colby Sawyer.
The city took samples of asphalt and soil to figure out why the road changed.
“Something happened in the process where the road started failing on us prematurely,” said Bel Aire Mayor Jim Benage. He added, “These roads need to last 20 or 30 years. We just can’t have that.”
The project was contracted to be finished this month, but the city said it most likely will be pushed back to the spring.
“Hopefully, we are going to get a report on those here in the next few weeks, and we will have a better idea of what is happening with this road,” said Mayor Benage.
Engineers are investigating the groundwater and soil. Once they figure out what’s going on, they’ll make a plan to fix it.
Residents hope a solution can be found soon.
“I don’t like waiting that long, but it needs to be right,” said VanEtten.
Mayor Benage said a quality road is needed so residents don’t have to pay more taxes in the long run.
Resident Colby Sawyer said he is hopeful the project helps flooding concerns and improves the flow of traffic.
You can find updates on the Woodlawn project here.