Kelly Sigg makes a point each morning of driving through the newly reconfigured construction zone in downtown Iola.
With the full rebuild of U.S. 54 commencing through town, Sigg makes a point of finding out which intersections are closed, which side streets may be off limits and how specific businesses may be affected.
It’s all in a day’s work for Sigg, executive director of the Iola Area Chamber of Commerce, and for the downtown merchants affected by the highway rebuild.
Sigg compares the downtown disruption to the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced many stores to scramble to find ways to stay open, such as doing more online sales.
“The front doors may have been closed, but they still found ways to still get the product to you.”
If there’s a benefit this time around, it’s that none of the stores are closing; but it’s undoubtedly caused a headache for merchants with all downtown parking along the highway off limits, likely until October.
COREY Schinstock, Iola assistant city administrator, spoke Thursday to Iola Rotarians about the project, which started last week near State Street, and will extend through the Buckeye Street intersection.
The first phase includes ripping out the northern half of the street (the original westbound lanes), while routing traffic onto the southern half. Traffic signals at Washington, Jefferson and Buckeye intersections have been taken down or deactivated. In fact, the Buckeye Street stoplight will be taken out for good.
If all goes according to plan, the northern lanes will be rebuilt by early August; the south half by mid-October.
In a dream scenario, the rebuild has progressed past the downtown section by the time Farm-City Days arrives in mid-October, Schinstock said.
The rebuild will continue eastbound, just past Kentucky Street.
A NUMBER of changes will be notable when the rebuild is complete.
The first will be how traffic flows east of downtown.
Until now, 54 has been a four-lane highway, but will shift to three lanes, one in each direction with a turning lane in the middle.
Flashing pedestrian crossing signals will be set up at 54’s intersection with Buckeye Street (in front of the Bowlus Fine Arts Center), on Oak Street (near Iola Middle School) and First Street (near the old hospital curve).
Speaking of the curve, the path motorists follow to either enter or exit First Street will be realigned, so those motorists are perpendicular to the highway traffic, Schinstock said.
