By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
A pair of new street projects in Great Bend began Monday morning. As part of the Community Development Block Grant project, reconstruction of the intersection at 19th and Harrison began, and crews also started a repaving project on Broadway from Polk to Morton.
The project at 19th and Harrison will close the intersection for approximately four weeks, but Great Bend Public Works Director Jason Cauley said the work gives Great Bend Middle School students added safety for the upcoming school year.
"It will be a great safety improvement because it's going to shorten the distance the kids have to walk across the street," Cauley said. "Having those bump-outs will decrease crosswalk length, and will also create a traffic culling measure for the traffic around the area because it narrows the street down. The idea is to slow the traffic down as well."
Thru traffic on both Harrison and 19th Streets will be completely blocked, but Great Bend Middle School will still be accessible using side streets.
Broadway will be reduced to one lane of traffic around the construction between Polk and Morton Streets. The Broadway repavement project is also expected to last approximately four weeks.
Cost of the projects was estimated at nearly $1.1 million, with 50 percent reimbursed from the CDBG, up to $600,000. Venture Corporation is completing the work.