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Wyoming council approves Burton Street reconstruction with road-diet, utility upgrades
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Summary
The Wyoming City Council approved awarding the Burton Street reconstruction bid and a related budget amendment. The project will convert traffic lanes, add a 10-foot nonmotorized path, replace ageing cast-iron water mains and reconstruct difficult intersections; construction is slated to begin in weeks and finish by fall.
The Wyoming City Council voted April 20 to award the Burton Street reconstruction project and a related budget amendment after staff said bids came in significantly higher than earlier estimates.
Council authorized the project, which will reconstruct Burton Street between Burlingame Avenue and Clyde Park, reduce travel lanes from two each way to one in each direction with a center left-turn lane, add a 10-foot nonmotorized path on the south side, replace cast-iron water mains installed in the 1940s, and make sanitary sewer repairs. The plan also calls for turning Lee Street into a cul-de-sac to simplify a complicated intersection at the west end of the work.
A city staff member presenting the project said crews plan to start in about two to three weeks and aim to complete substantial work by fall, with some work extending into 2027 if needed. The city will fund the work from major street funds and the capital projects fund, the presenter said.
The vote followed extended discussion about the design choice commonly called a "road diet." Council member Rob objected, saying he was skeptical of the change: "I'm not a fan of the road diet ... it's more of a fad that may fade out," he said, adding concerns about "throughput of traffic" as the community grows.
A staff member and other council members pushed back with safety and traffic-study reasoning, saying reduced lane configurations can calm speeds near the elementary school and help traffic queue more efficiently onto US 131 rather than clog nearby intersections. A resident who lives near the project area described current conditions as "kind of terrifying" at some intersections because turning vehicles block lanes, arguing the redesign and a dedicated left-turn lane should reduce accidents.
Council members also noted the project will replace old water mains and coordinate sewer work to limit repeated excavations. Staff said the city consulted engineers and local stakeholders, including Godfrey Lee (mentioned by staff as supportive for student safety), during planning.
The resolution to award the Burton Street reconstruction and related budget amendment passed on a roll-call vote.
