Leawood discusses multiple State Line projects: Evergy undergrounding, Johnson County force main and traffic safety

The Leawood City Council on Jan. 21 approved a utility agreement with Evergy Metro Inc. to underground overhead power lines along a long section of the January-to-State Line Road project and heard a staff update on a Johnson County wastewater force main that will require phased construction and lane restrictions on State Line Road.

Councilmember Julie Kane and David Lay, representing Public Works, described details of the Evergy cost structure. Lay said Evergy's total cost to underground would be about $8.4 million but that the city's obligation is the difference between undergrounding and the cost Evergy would pay to relocate overhead facilities (about $2.7 million). The city's share for the undergrounding project was presented as $5,736,701.91 in the packet. Council raised concerns about the cost, the number of transformer and switch-gear locations required, and potential impacts on trees and private property if the city instead required an overhead relocation.

Lay said the next step is obtaining about 15 property easements needed for equipment and access along the corridor; he told the council that if easements cannot be secured staff will return to the Public Works Committee to discuss alternatives, including allowing Evergy to relocate overhead. The council approved the resolution authorizing the mayor to execute the Evergy agreement by unanimous voice vote.

Later in the meeting, Assistant City Administrator Diane Stoddard and Lay reviewed the Johnson County wastewater force main project, which will run under portions of State Line Road and bisect an area near Leawood City Park and the dog park. Stoddard and Lay said the work will be done in phases and that the county will fence off the north side of the dog park for construction; city staff said the south side of the park will remain open while crews work in the north portion. The county's contractor will mobilize crews in February to begin park work and reach State Line Road in the spring. Staff said each phase will be separately permitted by Public Works and that the contractor intends to restore pavement promptly after installing the force main so that only limited stretches of the road are downgraded to one lane each direction during active construction.

Police Chief and councilmembers discussed safety on State Line, which carries about 45,000 vehicles a day in the busiest sections. Councilmember Lisa Harrison raised accident counts concentrated at intersections along State Line and asked whether signal timing, signage or other engineering changes might reduce collisions. Staff said the regional Operation Green Light program handles signal timing; engineering studies and signage are possible but can be costly. Councilmembers asked staff to coordinate communications on detours and to monitor intersections near work zones for safety impacts.

Council and staff said they will work with property owners to secure necessary easements, use large-format signage, and coordinate a public communications plan that includes business and resident access guidance during phased closures. Lay estimated Evergy work could be finished by the end of the year, with some City roadway work to follow, and that the wastewater force-main phases would be completed by late fall, subject to contractor scheduling and permitting.

The council approved the Evergy agreement and accepted the staff briefings on staging and communications; staff will report back to the Public Works Committee if easement negotiations fail for particular properties.