ShawneeDispatch.com

The city says it wants to take a new approach to planning the reconstruction of Monticello Road north of Shawnee Mission Parkway, but one city official worries it's a waste of money.

The Shawnee City Council on Monday discussed a contract for an engineering study of the reconstruction of Monticello from 66th Street to Johnson Drive, a process that would get public input on the project before any plans are drawn up and that would seek to reduce the cost and scope of the project. Council member Kevin Straub objected to the idea of reducing the project, however, saying the road needed to be four lanes.

The northern section of Monticello Road has been planned for widening for some time. The city originally had it set for 2008 on its Capital Improvement Program plan, but moved it to 2009 to spread the reconstruction of the road south of Shawnee Mission Parkway over two years and therefore receive more outside funding for both projects. The cost of widening the road to four lanes has been estimated at $8.5 million.

At the June 3 Finance & Administration Committee meeting, Council members suggested conducting a comprehensive study to evaluate the needs of the Monticello north corridor. The study would consider ways to maximize green space, encourage pedestrian options and lower the cost of the project. It also would include a traffic study for the entire corridor area and several public meetings to gather input, at a cost of $132,450.

Straub says he knows how much the city is strapped for money and also how busy the road is.

"I think we're throwing away $132,000 to an engineer," he said. "I think four lanes is the only way to go.

Doug Wesselschmidt, city engineer, said the bottom line is the city doesn't have the money to do four lanes for the full length of the project, largely because that would mean putting in a four-lane bridge over Clear Creek. He said the city needed to come up with solutions to handle the traffic without widening the bridge.

Straub argued that the city was putting in four lanes on the south end of Monticello without nearly as much traffic, though it may come some day. He said he had agreed to delay reconstruction of the north end so the south end could be completed, but he still thought traffic on the north end could increase.

Wesselschmidt said most of the problems on the northern portion were related to the schools along the road at the start and close of the school day, saying the road functions well the other 22 hours of the day.

Council member Kuhn said she liked that the study would include a traffic study for the whole area, and the most important factor was getting the public's input. She said a traffic study had shown an increase in traffic to the south on Monticello, but the north side was largely built out, and the construction of Silverheel Street to the west and the Clear Creek Recreational Trail could help ease the traffic and lessen the need for four lanes on the entire length of the project.

The Council approved, 7-1, a contract for the study with engineering firm Shafer, Kline and Warren, with Straub voting in opposition. Officials from the engineering firm said residents in the Monticello area should look for information about public meetings to take place in September.