By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Street repair projects commencing
Repairs may cause driving interruptions
new_deh_city street repairs pic.jpg
Venture Corporation of Great Bend finished the base coat of asphalt on the new stretch of Eighth Street between Grant and McKinley last week. The final coat should be done this week. After that, APEC of Hutchinson will begin installing the water and sewer lines. - photo by DALE HOGG Great Bend Tribune

Starting Wednesday morning, motorists may experience disruptions at the intersection of Lakin and Kansas in downtown Great Bend, said Assistant Director of Public Works Simon Wiley.

• Concrete Services of Great Bend will begin replacing the drainage swale on the east side of the junction. There are a lot of potholes there and the rebar is exposed in spots. 

Plus, that intersection has quite a hump, Wiley said. The project also involves tapering it to make the transition smoother for drivers crossing  Kansas. 

This will force the closure of Lakin on the east side of Kansas. But, it should be reopened by Monday.

• In addition, Concrete Services will be working at Harrison and Broadway. Again, potholes are the problem in the southbound lane of Harrison just north of Broadway. 

“We are going to try and coordinate that with the Christmas break from the schools,” Wiley said, adding the repairs will likely be made next week. “Harrison is obviously very well traveled (with this corner being near Great Bend Middle School).”

• Lastly, some guttering and breakouts will be fixed on Heizer near 12th Street. The start date is unclear, but it will likely begin after the Harrison Street work is completed.

Wiley noted that Public Works crews don’t get a lot of down time. They were out at 4 a.m. Tuesday patching 10th Street east of McKinley. They were done by 7 a.m.

• In another street project, Venture Corporation of Great Bend finished the base coat of asphalt on the new stretch of Eighth Street between Grant and McKinley last week, City Administrator Kendal Francis said. The final coat should be done this week. 

After that, APEC of Hutchinson will begin installing the water and sewer lines. “We are looking at a substantial completion by mid-January. Especially if the weather holds like this, they should be able to knock that out pretty quickly.”