Lawrence City Commissioners on Tuesday approved a $4.82 million increase to the budget and change in construction plans for the Jayhawk Watershed Project, which will lead to a portion of Ninth Street being closed through the summer.

The Jayhawk watershed team garnered approval for a change order with their contractor, Kissick Construction Co. Inc., which includes two major alterations for construction plans on Ninth Street and a stretch from Watson Park to Seventh Streets. 

First, the watershed team will extend “the installation of a new storm tunnel west on 9th Street to Mississippi Street,” per the agenda item report. Contractors already closed Ninth Street between Indiana and Louisiana Streets to traffic on Dec. 1 for this work. 

As part of the change order, commissioners followed city staff’s recommendation to close portions of Ninth Street for construction through summer 2026 without opening for the World Cup.

The recommendation was partially based on results of a survey sent to some Ninth Street business owners and employees to gauge their preferred phasing approach. The contractor also said that it would cost about $400,000 more to open for the World Cup and close again afterward, which was another possible phasing plan.

“We’re trying to only impact what we need, to not close down a huge area,” said Nick Hoyt, a city engineering program manager. “So we’re starting out with a relatively small closure right between Indiana and Louisiana.”

Commissioner Kristine Polian asked if contractors could close one lane to mitigate affect on businesses instead of doing a full shutdown of thru traffic.

Hoyt said they considered that option, but it would extend the project timeline and might not address the core concern.

“While traffic may be able to get through and drive, let’s say, to downtown, there’s still a 20-foot trench between them and the businesses on the north side, and it really doesn’t help businesses or help patrons get to those businesses,” Hoyt said. “… It makes it much harder for traffic and the workers to be safe.”

Hoyt acknowledged that, once contractors close Indiana Street, it will be challenging to access the buildings. He said they are looking at options for temporary parking for businesses and patrons, including on Ninth Street between Tennessee and Ohio Streets. He added that they will put up more signage to direct people to businesses once the only access point is from Eighth Street. 

The Jayhawk Watershed Improvements Project kicked off in late March to address stormwater infrastructure and flooding throughout Old West Lawrence and along Ninth Street, with a future project planned for south of Ninth Street. Hoyt said the change in plans Ninth Street won’t need to be closed for the future project to the south.

When the impending closures were announced this fall, some businesses expressed shock over the short turnaround time and alarm that it would have major impacts on their businesses’ vitality.

This portion of the Jayhawk Watershed Project was bumped up in priority when the city commission approved a special tax district for the KU Gateway Project in August. Watershed from the Gateway Project will connect to the Jayhawk watershed project. Additionally, the city will get $14.5 million from the tax incentive district; $13.5 million of that money is budgeted for Jayhawk Watershed and Mississippi Street improvements. 

Along the Ninth Street segment of the project, the city plans to improve stormwater infrastructure to address flooding and drainage; replace or upgrade sanitary sewers and water mains; reconfigure Ninth Street from four to three lanes between Illinois and Kentucky Streets; and improve safety and walkability with ADA-compliant sidewalks, wider bike lanes and more.

Additionally, the Jayhawk watershed team will expand the project near the Outdoor Aquatic Center under the approved change order. They decided the project needed to be altered once they began excavating the sewer tunnels in May and realized the storm sewer was oriented differently than they anticipated.

“So a big chunk of the change order, about $2.2 million, is installing a 500-foot 7’-by-7’ box from the west side of the pool through Watson Park to the south side of Seventh Street,” Hoyt said. “… The basketball court would be removed and the park would be regraded to drain into that.”

Hoyt said they could work with Parks and Recreation to relocate the basketball court nearby and they would leave the hole there.

Mayor Brad Finkeldei, Vice Mayor Mike Courtney, and Commissioners Mike Dever, Amber Sellers and Polian approved the change order on a 5-0 vote, including a request to add $4.82 million to the project budget, now totaling $22.3 million.

Of that total, $4.6 million will go to redesigning the Ninth Street storm sewer and installing new sewer south of Seventh Street while abandoning the pool’s sewer system. Hoyt said the money is split almost evenly between the two projects.

Then $202,000 will address smaller alterations, such as design changes for the storm system on Eighth Street west of Tennessee Street, according to the agenda item report.

“I live on Ninth Street and I work on Ninth Street, and it’s not as painful for me by any stretch as it is for the businesses,” Finkeldei said. “… I understand what they’re going through, and so obviously, appreciate all the work Kissick is doing. But, you know, fast as they can do it, the better.”

Wulfe Wulfemeyer (they/them), reporter and news editor, has worked with The Lawrence Times since May 2025. They can be reached at wulfe@lawrencekstimes.com.

Read their complete bio here. Read their work for the Times here.

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