Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Public Works

TO:	Debbie Van Saun
FROM:	Chuck Soules
Date:	August 11, 2005
RE:	Kasold Drive Reconstruction – Bob Billings Parkway to 22^nd Terrace Utility Status

Pursuant to City Commission direction, plans were developed for the Kasold Drive Reconstruction Project to include concrete pavement, a sidewalk, and a median.  Several utilities have relocation issues with this project.  Staff has been working with the utility companies since December 2004 to ensure that all conflicts are resolved prior to bidding the project.  Utility conflicts have, in the past, caused project delays and additional construction costs.  It has been staff understanding of City Commission direction on this project to have the utilities relocated, out of the way of the pavement reconstruction to expedite the eventual reconstruction project.  To that end, following is the status of each utilities effort:

Aquila:  Aquila has existing lines running on the west side of Kasold for the majority of the project.  At this time their engineering staff is looking at options to relocate this line.  They would prefer relocating to the east side, however, the city intends to place a water main on the east side and right-of-way construction may not allow the gas company to have sufficient room.

Sunflower  and SBC:   These two utilities have coordinated their relocation efforts by  using the same contractor and bore hole to install new conduits in the 7.5 ft. utility easements,  which exist behind the right-of-way on the west side of Kasold.  This area is behind the fences (i.e. between the fence and the street) that run along the west side.  The boring/excavation work is complete.  Both utilities need to install their lines within the conduit and splice in connections.  They should be complete with the changeover in the next couple of months.

Westar:  Westar has two divisions (transmission and distribution) which will need to be adjusted.  The transmission side has ordered a steel pole as a replacement for an older wood pole and anchor system near the water tower.  This pole is expected to be delivered in the fall.

Westar’s distribution system at the intersection of Bob Billings Parkway needs to be raised (which in turn will raise the transmission lines), and several other poles will need to be lengthened to accommodate the elevation difference.  The Bob Billings Parkway (15^th Street) intersection is being designed by the Westar engineers at this time.  Westar also has an underground line along the frontage road on the west side of Kasold (between Seminole Drive and Tam O’Shanter Drive) which will need to be relocated. 

Additionally, an underground line between Augusta Drive and Scioto Drive will be relocated into the 7.5 ft. easement along the west side of Kasold.  Westar plans on being complete with all work along Kasold by the end of November.

Waterline:  Plans for the waterline relocation are 90% complete.  Construction will begin once the project’s final design is complete and after the project has been bid and a contract awarded.

Unless it is decided to remove the sidewalk and median and replace the pavement at its existing grades and alignment, all of these utilities will need to be relocated and the work being completed is necessary.  Please recall that staff presented a remove and replace option to the Commission in the original preliminary study which was not deemed desirable. 

Please let me know if you have any additional questions.

Respectfully submitted,

Charles F. Soules, P.E.

Director of Public Works

CFS/je