South Lawrence Trafficway Phase II

Project OverviewDescripción del proyecto

Following Emery Sapp & Sons’ (ESS) award-winning delivery of the K-10 Bypass in 2016, the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) selected ESS as the general contractor for Phase II of the South Lawrence Trafficway (SLT) project. This work will expand K-10/SLT from a two-lane road to a median-divided, four-lane highway. ESS will perform more than 2 million cubic yards of earthwork and 500,000 square yards of concrete to deliver nine bridges and 30 additional lane miles of K-10/SLT.

Existing underground utilities along the site prompted immediate action from ESS before work could begin. Crews will work closely with the City of Lawrence to relocate 5,500 linear feet of sanitary and 6,800 linear feet of water utilities without impacting residents or the project schedule.

ESS and KDOT are committed to enhancing safety through infrastructure. The team evaluated and redesigned multiple curves to increase driver visibility and decrease safety risks associated with blind spots. This work is vital to ensuring the well-being of the more than 96,000 residents and 28,000 students who call Lawrence home.

Eight newly constructed and one reconstructed bridge will alleviate congestion and allow vehicles to merge seamlessly onto K-10/SLT from surrounding roads. The bridges will feature haunch slabs, concrete-on-concrete girders and concrete-on-steel girders. One bridge will function solely for pedestrians and provide a safe route for runners and bikers in the Lawrence community. Upon delivery, this $170M project will support over 48,000 daily vehicles, more than double its current capacity.

Construction has been divided into two phases: south (6th Street to U.S. 59) and north (6th Street to I-70). ESS will complete construction from 6th Street to U.S. 59 by Summer 2028 and bid on the work from 6th Street to I-70 in the fall of 2026.