The long-awaited project to mill and overlay much of 10th Street through Great Bend is expected to start Feb. 1, City Administrator Kendal Francis told the City Council when it met Monday night. 

“It is scheduled to be a 105 calendar day project,” he said. “So it should wrap up fairly quickly, if the weather cooperates.”

Venture Corporation of Great Bend is handling the nearly $1.5 million project, of which the city will have to cover 25%. In October 2019, the city was awarded funding through the Kansas Department of Transportation Cost-share program to include the following stretches of 10th (from west to east): Patton Road to Kennedy; Kennedy to McKinley; two segments between McKinley and Harrison; Washington to Main; and Frey to Hickory.

Public Works Director Jason Cauley said the work will begin at the west end of 10th and move eastward. They will do the inside lanes first, forcing all traffic to the outside lanes.

Although the street won’t be closed, Cauley said traffic would be slowed since it will be squeezed down to one lane in each direction. “There may be some delays.”

After the funds were awarded in October 2019, the city in February 2020 signed two cost-share agreements with KDOT for the work which totals over $3 million for two projects, of which KDOT is covering 75%. This included 10th Street as well as the rebuilding of the Sunflower Rod and Custom Association dragstrip.

The total construction cost that KDOT is reimbursing for the dragstrip is $1,590,867 and reimbursement for the street is $1,461,028, totalling roughly $2.24 million. The city’s total share for both comes to $1.15 million, including engineering, design and inspection costs.

The full-depth replacement of the entire SRCA dragstrip is about 25% complete. That work is being done by Suchy Construction of Great Bend.