by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — The new Wellington City Council continues to address that spreading disease known as “pothole-itis” inflicting our many miles of roads within the city limits. The council studied four road projects within the city limits at a work session last week and a council meeting Tuesday night.

Those projects include:

•the Vandenburg project, the by-pass highway connecting A Street to 16th Street;

•the Lincoln Street project in southeast Wellington to start this summer;

•a proposed project which will resurface U.S. 81 from Harvey to the south city limits;

•and the possible paving of Hillside Street which is currently a dirt road servicing Worden Park on the north side of town.

Vandenburg project —

The Vandenburg project continues on schedule, Wellington City Manager Gus Collins said. Observers can see a big pile of milling from the old highway ready to be spread. That milling will go on various places in town in need of road repair.

The base has been established on the north end which is being built of concrete. Estimates for the reopening of the road, which was closed on March 18, will be in September.

The total cost of the project will be $2.12 million for a new highway and a 10-inch sewer line which runs parallel to the west side of the road. The cost to the city of Wellington will be $553,000. The road construction project is a split with the Kansas Department of Transportation, which pays 80 percent of the project. The other 20 percent will be paid by the city. The road bid was $1.894,931 The city picked up all of the water line project cost which is budgeted at $275,000.

The new road will include two lanes, shoulders, and turn lanes in specific areas. The medians will also be taken out at the north edge of the project to make it easier for wide loads to get through.

Lincoln project —

The Wellington City Council Tuesday approved designating Lincoln Street as a major thoroughfare and to open bids for what engineering estimates at $1.5 million to resurface the street from Woodlawn Ave. to the compost pile on the east side city limits.

Collins said the project will be placed up for bid to a construction company this next month, and he estimates that the project will start in July. It will last approximately five to six months.

The city will be speaking with Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railroad about using its land as a detour. The cost of the project has been increased due to the width of the road. Lincoln is 45 feet across, unusually wide for a city street. The city staff is looking into narrowing it.

Collins said the city is also studying the repaving of the road connecting Woodlawn from Lincoln to Harvey. However, that will depend on the bids and whether or not the city can afford it.

U.S. 81 from Harvey to south city limits —

The city is seeking funding for the resurfacing of U.S. 81 which starts at Harvey Street to the Wellington south city limits at the Botkin intersection. The new surfacing is estimated to cost around $1 million. The city is looking for an 80-20 split in which KDOT will pay the other 80 percent.

Collins said in order to get the maximum amount of funding it would need to apply for two grants known as KLINK projects. The first grant would resurface Harvey to the railroad tracks and then the second project would go from the railroad to Botkin.

Proposed Hillside Street project —

At the work session on April 30, the council discussed whether or not to pave Hillside Street, which services the Worden Park Sports Complex traffic. The paving would start at H Street and go toward the west side to the west city water tower.

That project has been budgeted for 2016 in the capital improvement fund. However, Collins recommended that the project be moved up to 2014. The cost to pave the road to city standards and build up Hillside would cost city taxpayers $250,000 to $275,000. He said the road is nearly graded daily and would not hold up due to the heavy use.

After discussion, the council asked Collins to see if there was a project that can be delayed and move up the Hillside project.

The board also approved a $165,000 for paving, curbing and guttering to Boundary Road from U.S. 160 to the northern property line which is to service the proposed Best Western Motel north of the McDonald’s Restaurant. The project will cost $165,000 with $100,000 being paid to the improvement district (motel owners) and $65,000 to the city at large.

The latest update as of Thursday on the motel is that it has applied for a loan and is waiting for acceptance. Collins said once that occurs the owners will proceed with the construction of the facility.