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Council hears full‑depth Huntoon Street reconstruction plan; water mains and pedestrian connectivity drive design
Summary
Staff and consultants recommended replacing undersized or missing water mains and building a complete‑street section on Huntoon from Gage to Harrison, including a shared use path, bike lane and curb work; the project budget includes a $6.3 million water line estimate.
City staff and consultants returned to the Topeka City Council on Feb. 4 with an update on the Huntoon Street (Gage Boulevard to Harrison) reconstruction funded by the Shawnee County sales tax extension.
Presenters said the corridor has aging and partly missing water mains, frequent pavement segments rated poor or very poor, and accident hotspots. A 12‑inch water main replacement across much of the corridor is recommended; staff presented a $6,300,000 estimate for waterline work after a detailed review. Full roadway reconstruction would allow the city to replace utilities and avoid future “Swiss cheese” patches that would come from piecemeal repair, staff said.
The proposed typical section includes a single through driving lane in each direction with a protected bike lane, a 10‑foot two‑way shared use path on one side, a buffer, and parallel parking on one side where appropriate. Staff showed traffic counts and modeling that indicated the corridor could operate within capacity with a single driving lane in many segments while improving pedestrian safety and reducing conflict points that have contributed to crashes.
Council members asked about the 10‑foot shared‑use path width (several council members suggested narrower widths in constrained locations to preserve front yards and reduce impervious area), how abandoned lateral water lines would be handled (staff said they plan to remove old mains when feasible to avoid subgrade issues) and how bump‑outs and other geometric changes will accommodate emergency vehicles and delivery trucks (staff said they will run emergency vehicle turning templates and incorporate fire and police feedback in final design).
Staff said the proposed reconstruction costs, including water and storm work, remain within the Shawnee County sales tax project budget for the corridor and that some two‑lane sections approaching major cross streets will retain turn lanes where required.
Ending: Staff will continue design, coordinate with Topeka Fire and Police on turning templates and refine shared‑use path widths where constraints require; final design updates will return to council for budget appropriation before construction.
