Shawnee County outlines phased closure, detours and timeline for NW 40th/6th Street project amid public concern

County staff and SVB Engineering presented details on the Northwest 40 Sixth Street improvement project on March 3, describing a multi-phase construction schedule, detour plans and community outreach as work begins this month.

Brian Austin, representing SVB Engineering, said the project is a half-cent sales tax-funded safety project that will widen 40 Sixth Street to three lanes with a continuous center turn lane for most of the corridor, add a five-foot sidewalk on the south side, build a 10-foot shared-use path and construct a separated pedestrian bridge over Half Day Creek. "We will start the project next week," Austin said, adding that a pre-construction meeting later in the day would finalize the exact start date. Austin said the project is scheduled for completion on Oct. 30, 2026.

Austin outlined four phases. Phase 1 focuses on the Green Hills Place/40 Sixth intersection and will close that intersection starting the week of March 10 through July 4; the county will place portable message signs and post detour maps. Official detours will use Rochester and 60 Second Street and Rochester down to 30 Fifth Street; alternate routes include Green Hills Road and Button Road. Austin said some properties will use temporary access roads and that approximately 23 properties are on Green Hills Place and about 12 properties will need access over a one-lane bridge during portions of work.

He said utilities remaining to be relocated (AT&T, Cox, Evergy) had confirmed completion during the week before construction. Austin said later phases would include work in a large fill section that cannot be practically maintained under traffic; the contractor will close that segment to complete the fill work. Phase 2 is scheduled from July 5 to Nov. 15, 2025; major work with two-way traffic under construction is planned throughout 2026.

Commissioners and county staff said the county mailed postcards to more than 1,800 addresses within a one-mile radius of the project, including the school district and the Soldier Township Fire Department, and that a public meeting was scheduled for 6 p.m. the following evening at Mother Teresa Catholic Church. Jeff Hunt was named as the county project manager and Michael Furr as the inspector.

During public comment, several residents urged the county to change phasing or delay the project because of overlapping traffic impacts from other regional work, including concurrent KDOT bridge work on U.S. 75 and an upcoming I-70 closure. One resident spoke at length about safety risks if the project diverts traffic to 60 Second Street and 30 Fifth Street, which he said currently carry about 2,000 vehicles per day compared with 7,500 vehicles per day on 40 Sixth Street; he warned of increased crashes and economic harm to businesses if traffic is concentrated on narrower neighborhood streets. A realtor who said she represents north-side properties asked whether safety studies for specific intersections, such as 60 Second at U.S. 75, had been done; commissioners and the engineer said some counts and speed studies exist and that KDOT controls interchange work.

County staff said signage and a public meeting will present official detour maps and alternate options. No formal vote or permit was taken at the meeting; the project presentation and public comments were informational and staff said they would continue community outreach at the scheduled public meeting.