[E-updates] Winter weather means special projects and maintenance for city cr ews

[Lisa Patterson]

NEWS RELEASE      
City of Lawrence, Kansas
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 22, 2004

CONTACT:  Lisa Patterson, communications coordinator, (785) 832-3406

Winter weather means special projects and maintenance for city crews

(LAWRENCE, KANSAS) - The Kansas winter puts a stop to repairing concrete and
replacing pavement, but the crews with the Street Division of Public Works
take advantage of cold temperatures to tackle special projects.  

Since early November, crews have been on the streets placing asphalt into
cracks in the roadways.  The crew works on the two-step process by first
using a heated blower to heat the surface and remove debris and water.  The
second step is to lay in the sealant and spread it.  

The priority list for crack sealing that is being followed this winter
started in North Lawrence with North Second and North Third Streets.  Crews
will now move into the neighborhoods in North Lawrence.  If the weather
stays dry and temperatures stay near freezing crews will move on to seal
cracks along 23rd Street from Massachusetts Street to Harper Avenue this
winter.  In November and December of last year, crews used more than 14,000
pounds of fill material in the crack sealing process.

As the temperatures do fall below freezing, crews take advantage of the
frozen surface to move equipment into areas that are normally too wet and
muddy to access.  Cleaning overgrown vegetation from ditches allows for
proper drainage.  Crews recently completed ditch work along McDonald Drive
just south of Second Street and are currently working along Michigan Street,
east of Second Street.  Next on the schedule, crews will work at 23rd Street
and Lawrence Avenue but the area needs to freeze to allow equipment to work
in the normally wet area.

On Monday, crews finished the resurfacing of the levy trail by providing a
new lime walkway.  The resurfacing project has spanned three winters and
completed approximately six miles of trail resurfacing from north of
Lawrence to 8th and Oak Street.  Next winter will work begin at 8th and Oak
Street and move east.

-END-

_____________________________
Lisa K. Patterson
Communications Coordinator
City of Lawrence
PO Box 708
Lawrence, KS 66044
(785) 832-3406
fax (785) 832-3405
lpatterson at ci.lawrence.ks.us
http://www.lawrenceks.org