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Jenks council demands fixes as Peoria Elm widening slips about 10 months behind schedule
Summary
City staff and contractors told the Jenks City Council on June 23 that the Peoria Elm widening project has been delayed about 10 months — largely by unrecorded underground utilities (notably AT&T) and extreme weather — and councilors called for better contract oversight and monthly public updates.
The Jenks City Council on June 23 pressed staff and contractors for clearer oversight and faster communications after officials said the Peoria Elm widening project has slipped roughly 10 months behind its original schedule.
City Manager Robert Shrout opened the council’s Peoria Elm update, laying out the project history and recent schedule changes. Project staff said right‑of‑way work began in 2020, construction started in January 2025 and the contractor’s April 2026 completion date has been pushed to February 2027 after discovery of previously unrecorded utilities and extensive weather delays.
Why it matters: the widening work affects residents and businesses along Elm (Peoria Elm) and has produced sustained lane closures and local complaints. Councilors and the chamber representative said the city needs better contract language, clearer sequencing and improved public notice to reduce impacts.
Details and claims: City staff described multiple causes for the delay. Mr. Wilkins, the project representative, said the city completed right‑of‑way acquisition in May 2024 but then found numerous conflicting underground utilities. He said AT&T fiber and other lines were not identified in the project documents, forcing pauses while relocations were completed. “They just say I I'm a sorry and I apologize,” Wilkins said when describing the carrier's initial response to the oversight.
Construction management consultant and staff also quantified weather impacts. One project manager reported “90 documented rain days” since construction began and said there were approximately 75–80 freeze days that limited concrete and paving operations; staff estimated those conditions plus utility conflicts account for roughly the 10‑month delay.
Council response and direction: Councilors questioned whether the city’s contract language and construction management practices gave enough leverage over sequencing and schedule. Councilor Murray asked whether a guaranteed start date for phase two was realistic while phase one remains behind schedule; Councilor Able and others urged caution about overlapping long stretches of construction that could worsen traffic issues.
On remedies, councilors asked staff to convene next‑week talks with all utilities on the corridor, invite a council representative to the meeting, and produce a monthly public project summary. Council members also pressed for clearer contract incentives and for the city to document lessons learned before approving additional phases.
Public comment: Chamber chair and resident Matt Bowler, who lives in Wakefield Pond, urged stronger contract oversight and penalties or incentives to minimize business and resident disruption. “We need to do a better job of overseeing and writing our contracts to maintain two lanes of traffic ... and put incentives in our contracts that hurry up the process,” Bowler told the council.
What’s next: Staff said they will meet with corridor utilities the week following the council meeting, provide monthly updates online and explore whether contract amendments or incentives are feasible. No new formal contract approvals were made at the meeting; council action focused on oversight and communication steps.
Journalist’s note: All direct quotations above are taken from the June 23 transcript of the Jenks City Council meeting and attributed to the speakers who made them.
