$13.7 Million Road Project Planned for 45th Street in Bel Aire

The city of Bel Aire is moving forward with a $13.7 million road overhaul of 45th Street, a project that will transform a two-lane stretch into a three-lane roadway complete with a new roundabout. According to reporting from The Wichita Eagle, the construction will span from Oliver to Woodlawn and include the addition of curbs, gutters, storm sewers, and two sidewalks.

The project, which first secured funding in 2022 and saw its design contract approved in 2023, represents a significant capital investment in the city’s traffic flow and drainage capacity.

The 45th and Oliver Roundabout

The center-piece of the redesign is a two-lane roundabout at the intersection of 45th and Oliver. Along with the roundabout, the expansion to three lanes is intended to alleviate congestion as the suburb continues to grow.

However, the roadwork is only one piece of a larger subterranean puzzle. The city council recently approved a $119,903 design contract amendment with the firm Garver to relocate portions of the water main. This utility work is a prerequisite; the pipes must be moved to be compatible with the new road layout before the heavy paving begins.

“They have started preliminary work on that relocation plan,” Bel Aire’s city engineer Anne Stephens told the council. “They plan to have it ready to bid January of next year.”

A Timeline Defined by Delay

Bel Aire is currently managing a precarious construction schedule. The city is intentionally staggering its major projects to avoid a total gridlock of the local network. The 45th Street project is explicitly slated to begin only after the reconstruction of Woodlawn is finished.

The problem is that the Woodlawn end date remains unknown. That project has been plagued by geological surprises, with construction pausing in early October after crews encountered soft soil for the third time. The city is currently waiting on test sample results from the Kansas Department of Transportation before it can move forward.

Because of these setbacks, the timeline for 45th Street has shifted into a long-term horizon:

January of next year: Target date for the water main relocation to be ready for bid.
July 2027: Expected completion of the water main relocation.
October 2027: Scheduled bid date for the full construction project.

The Human Cost of Infrastructure

For the people living in Bel Aire, the “so what” of this news is found in the daily commute. The decision to prevent the 45th Street and Woodlawn projects from overlapping is a concession to the “construction fatigue” felt by the community.

By splitting the projects, the city risks inflation hitting the $13.7 million estimate, a figure that officials admit could change as plans are updated.

As Anne Stephens noted during the council meeting, the inconvenience to citizens is already “a lot to ask,” especially given how long the Woodlawn project has dragged on.

The success of the 45th Street expansion now hinges on the soil beneath Woodlawn. Until the Kansas Department of Transportation clears the current site, the $13.7 million vision for 45th Street remains a blueprint waiting for a clear path.