The two-plus-block stretch of Broadway Avenue in Great Bend from Polk to McKinley streets has always been intended for one lane of traffic in each direction.

However, the width has caused confusion for motorists who oft treat it as a four-lane road. A project now underway should help.

"It was so wide, people treated it as two lanes both ways," said Great Bend City Engineer Robert Winiecke. "We’re going to try to clarify that."

The work, which was approved by the City Council Sept. 7, involves digging up a lot of the old asphalt between Central Kansas Medical Center and McKinley and replacing it with new concrete. Next, the stretch from Polk to McKinley will receive a new layer of asphalt followed by new lane lines, including a center turning lane.

The concrete and paving work should be done by the first week of November, Winiecke said. The entire project should be completed before Thanksgiving, if good weather holds and no surprises are found.

This way, he said, it will be finished before the holidays when it would could interfere with guests visiting town or the Trail of Lights. "We don’t want detours then."

Work on Broadway is part of a busy fall. When the lanes are being marked on Broadway, 24th Street from Harrison to McKinley will be re-striped to include on-street parking. In addition, while concrete is being poured on Broadway, crews will bounce back and fourth to the intersection of 18th and Kansas which is being redone.

The main contractor for the project is L&M Contractors of Great Bend.