The South Lawrence Trafficway (SLT), or K-10, connects Lawrence and Lenexa, Kansas. Lawrence is home to the University of Kansas, while Lenexa is a Kansas City suburb with a population of nearly 60,000. The SLT is a controlled-access freeway for most of its approximately 36.5 miles.
Along this freeway, the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) and general contractor Emery Sapp & Sons (ESS) are advancing Phase II of the SLT project, which is expected to improve safety and mobility in the corridor.
Covering over 7 miles, the project focuses on a section of the SLT that is currently a head-to-head two-lane highway with a high crash rate. KDOT has long sought to upgrade the road, which will be widened to a four-lane highway.
The average daily traffic on this portion of the SLT was 20,000 in 2017, and it is projected to climb to 48,000 by 2045. The traffic primarily consists of commuters heading to Kansas City and truck traffic, including semis and 18-wheelers.
“It serves as a quick hub for eastbound traffic to jump off of I-70 and get down to the southern portion of Kansas City, like Overland Park and Olathe,” ESS Project Manager Jase Hartenbower said.
| Your local Trimble Construction Division dealer |
|---|
| SITECH Northeast |
Therefore, the traffic patterns are greatly impacted by rush hour.
“We can't do anything that will impact traffic until 9 in the morning, and we have to have it back open to full traffic by 3:30 in the afternoon,” he added.
Clinton Lake, located near the project area, is a popular destination for boating, fishing, and swimming. The lake is part of Clinton State Park. According to a Lawrence travel website, there are trails around the lake for birding, hiking, and mountain biking, along with camper hookups, camping and picnic areas, fishing platforms, playing fields, and a swimming beach. The lake and park draw traffic to the area.
The University of Kansas is also near the project site. The university's main campus has a student population of about 28,000.
| Your local Volvo Construction Equipment dealer |
|---|
| Tyler Equipment |
Hartenbower noted that the area is also home to significant commercial and residential activity.
The project scope includes additional elements beyond converting the roadway into a four-lane highway.
The project involves work on nine bridges — four pairs (eastbound and westbound), plus a pedestrian bridge. Two of the steel bridges are on 27th Street, where the intersection is currently controlled by a traffic light. The team is elevating the K-10 highway with bridges, allowing traffic to pass underneath.
Hartenbower explained how this will make it much safer for drivers coming from the west.
| Your local Case Construction Equipment Inc dealer |
|---|
| Beauregard Equipment |
| Monroe Tractor |
“Currently, there’s a significant climb on a hill to a curve and changing intersection,” he said. “Traffic no longer crosses or turns across high-speed highway lanes, as the project removes the need to stop on a hill, which reduces crashes. Local 27th Street traffic will now move independently below, reducing interaction with high-speed regional traffic.”
The team is constructing two 800-foot-long new steel girder bridges. The remaining bridges are being rehabilitated.
Other project elements include interchange improvements. According to Emery Sapp & Sons’ website, the team “evaluated and reconfigured multiple curves to increase driver visibility and decrease safety risks associated with blind spots.”
The website also says that the team is relocating “5,500 linear feet of sanitary and 6,800 linear feet of water utilities without impacting residents or the project schedule.”
| Your local Esco Corporation dealer |
|---|
| Genalco |
As part of the project, the team will use over 500,000 square yards of concrete and move 2 million cubic yards of earthwork. All the dirt and rock are being used on the project, eliminating the need for offsite disposal and reducing project waste.
Since the project area is in a busy part of town, it is no surprise that the project involves a substantial amount of utility relocation. Hartenbower called it the project's biggest challenge. Utilities that had to be relocated due to construction include energy, fiber-optic cables, gas lines, water, and sewer.
“We knew upon bidding this project that some of the utilities would impact the way the project was built,” Hartenbower said. “Our estimating and preconstruction group did a great job coming up with an alternate traffic control plan. We had to take some risk and assume that we would be able to use this plan if we were awarded the job.”
Hartenbower noted that KDOT has been a great partner. The state enabled ESS to adapt and change the traffic control plan to account for material delays. Hartenbower said specialty items are still backed up. In this case, the delay was due to gas meters.
| Your local Hyundai dealer |
|---|
| Equipment East |
“We had to rearrange our original traffic control plan and phasing,” he said. “Between the gas company, KDOT, and us, we found a way to move forward.”
There is a significant amount of activity in the area. On the east side of the project, there’s a softball complex and soccer field. The athletic facilities are busy at night and on the weekends. The team is careful to minimize impact and enable access to the area.
“We've remained flexible, whether that's working nights, weekends, changing up some schedules to keep access easier for all the folks that this is impacting,” Hartenbower said.
ESS is also in close contact with KDOT and the city, providing advance notice about when changes are coming.
| Your local Wirtgen America dealer |
|---|
| United Construction & Forestry |
| WI Clark |
There is also pedestrian traffic in the area. The Lawrence trail loop, which runs from the west side of Lawrence to the east side of the city, is directly along K-10.
Despite the impact on the bustling area, Hartenbower has not received any complaints from residents.
“So far, the people of Lawrence and the city have been great to us,” he said.
ESS is headquartered in Columbia, Missouri, and has an office in Kansas City. The heavy civil infrastructure contractor has worked in Kansas on multiple occasions, including on Phase I of the SLT.
| Your local Trimble Construction Division dealer |
|---|
| SITECH Northeast |
“During the first phase of the SLT reconstruction, we had a good partnership with KDOT, so we wanted to continue that with SLT Phase II,” Hartenbower said. “With the amount of concrete paving, the mass excavations on the project, we felt it was a perfect fit for us and a perfect time in our schedules for our crews.”
The construction budget is $170 million. To date, there have been $2 million to $3 million in change orders. A major change order was an addition to the ITS. KDOT added extensive fiber-optic communications for traffic signals.
Other changes, including those related to the alternate traffic control, have saved money. So, at this point, Hartenbower anticipates the project will come in on budget.
Construction on the project began in fall 2024, and completion is expected in summer 2028. The project is currently on schedule, though Hartenbower called 2026 “the big year,” as the team has a packed schedule.
| Your local Trimble Construction Division dealer |
|---|
| SITECH Northeast |
“The willingness of KDOT to partner with us on the alternate [traffic control] program had been critical to this team's success and keeping the project on schedule,” Hartenbower said. “We've had to get extremely creative, and KDOT has provided advice, which has gotten us to where we're at today.”
The ESS team has enjoyed working with KDOT on the SLT projects and is hoping to win the bid for Phase III. They anticipate that KDOT will open the project for bids in the fall.
Upon completion of Phase II of the SLT, the route will improve safety for travelers. In addition, the work around 27th Street will make travel easier for pedestrians and those going to the sports complexes.
- Owner: Kansas Department of Transportation
- General Contractor: Emery Sapp & Sons, Columbia, Missouri
- Engineer: HNTB, Kansas City, Missouri
- Construction Inspection: BHC, Seattle, Washington
- Construction Engineering/Inspection Services: Lochner, Chicago, Illinois
