Rebuilding U.S. 54 through Iola could cost as much as $13 million.
Iola City Council members took their first extensive look Monday at what may be involved in rebuilding the road, if and when that project occurs in a few years.
On hand for Monday’s meeting was Jacob Dieter, a project designer with Burns and McDonnell, which recently completed a 260-page corridor improvement study.
The study included a pavement core analysis, a community open house to gauge support for various adjustments if the highway is rebuilt, and cost projections.
A few highlights:
• The cost of extending the highway from State Street to near the east city limits could cost anywhere from $9.1 million to $10.2 million, depending on whether the road has an asphalt or concrete surface, and whether the road is kept as a 4-lane corridor or pared to a 3-lane roadway, with one lane in each direction and a turning lane in the middle. The city could expect to spend another $2 million or so for design work, and obtaining right-of-way easements.
• Respondents at an Aug. 26 open house and subsequent online survey favored seeing the road developed to make it as safe as possible for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists, including a potential crosswalk or other feature at the old hospital curve.
• Respondents also said the work should be scheduled to mitigate disruptions for downtown businesses.
• Water drainage along the roadway also will need attention.
HOW TO pay for the rebuild still needs to be settled.
Interim City Administrator Corey Schinstock offered up one option.
Because Iola will no longer provide $350,000 in sales tax revenues to Allen County Regional Hospital after this year, the city could use those proceeds to pay off general obligation bonds used to fund the rebuild.
With that in mind, Councilman Carl Slaugh asked Schinstock to bring back a report of capital projects the sales tax revenues may be needed to fund in the next few years, plus plans for highway maintenance.
Iola currently has about $800,000 in the bank for the highway rebuild, and Schinstock expressed skepticism the city will be able to get much in the form of grants.
COUNCIL members said further study was necessary, pointing to the pavement core analysis at three different points of the corridor.
