6th Street Reconstruction Officially Begins

City of Osawatomie Public Works Director Michele Silsbee has announced a series of construction updates to the full-depth reconstruction of 6th Street from Lincoln Avenue to Kelly Avenue. The nearly $6.3 million project is the single largest street reconstruction project in Osawatomie's history and is planned to encompass almost the entire year.

The project has been deep in pre-construction activities since late November 2023 when subcontractors began measuring, marking, and readying for utility line relocations up and down the corridor. That preparatory work continued throughout the relatively mild winter weather, and the subcontractor has begun replacing and relocating the water main from under the current roadbed to within the City's right-of-way. This work began at Kelly Avenue and has advanced to Chestnut Avenue.

While the subcontractor continues work on utility line improvements, Killough Construction, the project's main contractor, has started clearing brush to reestablish the ditch line that runs behind businesses on the west side of 6th Street from Chestnut to Kelly Avenue. New culverts are being installed under Kelly Avenue and the ditch is then continued to the levee as part of a vastly improved stormwater system for the southern portion of the corridor. As conditions dry out, the contractor will begin the necessary dirt removal through the ditch line after brush and other vegetation has been removed or mulched.

Due to the progress of these pre-construction activities, which is estimated to be 3% of overall project completion, City staff has tentatively planned the first full street closure to allow road construction to formally begin. Beginning February 12, 2024, weather and conditions permitting, both lanes of traffic will be closed from Kelly Avenue to the levee in order for contractors to install stormwater on both sides and make significant changes to the street design and elevation. This closure will include half of the 6th and Kelly intersection. Conditions permitting, this closure will last approximately one month and marks the official start of the "street and storm" portion of the reconstruction project.

Director Silsbee notes that, due to the complexity of stormwater improvements in the area, the Kelly/levee portion of the project is the only section of the overall reconstruction that has a full closure (both lanes) planned. For the remainder of the 6th Street project, which is estimated to last a full 10-12 months, contractors plan to alternate working zones to continuously allow southbound traffic at all times though the open lane may switch depending on active work.

For more information on the reconstruction of 6th Street, please visit our project homepage.