Topeka shares 10-year plan for city-wide projects

TOPEKA (KSNT) – City of Topeka staff have created the proposed Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for city-wide projects over the next 10 years.

According to a City of Topeka spokeswoman, city staff created the 2025-2034 CIP and first presented it to the governing body for consideration at Tuesday’s Topeka City Council meeting.

A CIP is a plan that helps make sure the city’s annual operating budget, capital improvement budget and long-term financial projections line up with the city’s strategic goals as well as its infrastructure needs.

According to the city, a project can only be added to the CIP if it meets at least one of the following:

Real property acquisition

Construction of new facilities and or addition to an existing city facility costing $50,000 or more

Public infrastructure projects

Information technology projects costing $50,000 or more

Highlighted 2025-2034 CIP Public Works projects

Topeka Public Works proposed increasing funding for multiple street maintenance programs. It recommends increasing the pavement management program’s budget by more than $2 million a year. This is the program responsible for repairs to damage like potholes and pavement cracks.

Crews will be working on road and stormwater improvements on Southwest 29th Street from Burlingame Road to Topeka Boulevard. The construction project is slated to take place in 2025.

Another project along 29th Street is slated for 2025. Bridge improvements over Butcher Creek are planned on Southeast 29th Street from Kansas Avenue to Adams Street.

A pavement rehabilitation project on Southwest Topeka Boulevard from 15th to 21st streets was originally scheduled for 2028, but has been moved up to 2025.

Highlighted 2025-2034 CIP Utilities projects

Funding for the 2025 Water Main Replacement has increased by $1.6 million, and Wastewater Lining and Replacement has increased by $1.3 million.

Funds for the Sanitary Sewer Interceptor Maintenance and Rehabilitation Program are being redistributed. Programs funds set for 2026 are being redistributed to the 2025 and 2027 program to cover the large scale projects included in the program.

A project along Southeast California and Southeast Fourth Street is planned for 2026. It addresses capacity concerns in the basin that are recommended in the Stormwater Master Plan, according to the City of Topeka.

The City has a project planned on Prairie Road from Southwest 21st Street to Southwest 23rd Street for 2025 to update the sewer system where significant flood impacts were seen in 2020.

The table below shows a variety of projects the city may put 2025-2034 CIP funding towards.

CIP Categories5 Year TotalsPublic Works: Street Projects$199,155,236Public Works: Non-Street Projects$67,942,525Water Projects$125,112,862Stormwater Projects$48,923,704Wastewater Projects$95,105,000Public Safety Expenditures$22,897,134Information Technology Expenditures$3,615,540Totals$562,752,001Table courtesy/ City of Topeka

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