Early 2022 – City staff met to discuss ideas for a grant application for the B.A.S.E. grant program administered by the Kansas Department of Commerce.
February 2022 – Staff reviewed the City’s proposal. Project ideas included an expansion of the water treatment plant, 16-inch water treatment transmission main, 30-inch sanitary sewer interceptor along Constant Creek (see the project page for more information on this project), Topeka Avenue improvement and north industrial park extension and speculative building.
October 2022 – The City applied for the grant for water infrastructure improvements and industrial development.
April 13, 2022 – El Dorado was announced as a first-round recipient for a $3 million B.A.S.E. grant.
May 2022 – The City received a draft version of the Water Treatment and Capacity Study and the Sanitary Sewer Capacity Study for review. Included in the priorities identified were the Central Avenue water transmission main and Constant Creek Sanitary Sewer Interceptor, both of which are included in the BASE grant.
October 2022 – The City was notified it received a $1 million Cost Share Program grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation for stormwater improvements.
January 2023 – Conceptual engineering is underway on the Central Avenue project. The field study was delayed from the original schedule due to the holidays and weather. PEC also is updating the existing conditions model for stormwater, which will be used to evaluate the storm system’s sizing and ponding depths in the roadway for different storm events.
April 2023 – PEC provided the City with some stormwater models to help with engineering the City’s Cost-Share Project along Central Avenue. The firm is designing improvements to meet the 10-year flood. The project calls for a 6-foot by 6-foot pipe along Central.
January 2024 – PEC is coordinating with utilities along the Central Avenue Project. Geotechnical field work has been completed and final plans will be made in February.
February 2024 - Bid letting.
May 6, 2024 - City Commission approved the bid and contract award to Nowak Construction.
June 2024 - Nowak Construction began construction-related activities for the Central Avenue Improvement Project. Staff from the Public Works and Engineering Departments met with Nowak and Phillips Southern to discuss the traffic signals along the project to ensure they remain operational during the construction.
June 10, 2024 - Traffic control will start for the Central Avenue Project as crews begin saw-cutting Central to begin the water line work in Phase One. (See the maps in the above newsflash story)
July 9, 2024 - The intersection of Griffith Street on the north side of Central is closed.
July 15, 2024 - The intersection of Vine and Central will become a four-way stop, with two-lane traffic through the area.
October 10, 2024 - The intersection of Main and Central will be closed on the north side. The intersections of Vine and Central and Griffith and Central will reopen.
October 2024 - The intersection of Main and Gordy is closed on the north side.
December 11-24 - Road replacement is underway from Vine to Gordy, including grading and rock base preparation, followed by concrete pavement. In addition, the waterline installation is continuing westward from Star Street, but we have encountered heavy rock in the excavation; storm sewer box placement will be complete for project at Gordy Street; spotting utilities from Star to Denver is being done to prepare for directional drilling; and directional drilling of the waterline is planned from Star to Taylor.
December 23-27 - Holiday Schedule: No work will be conducted during this time.
February 25, 2025 - The intersections of Central and Vine, Central and Main, and Central and Gordy were opened back up with working traffic signals as the work moves further to the west toward Denver Street.
March 3, 2025 - Northbound intersection closures at Central and Star, Washington, Taylor and Denver streets. Central will remain open to southbound traffic.
March 6, 2025 - Work is beginning on the bulb outs at First and Main, then moving to Pine and Main.
March 2025 - Work on the water line progresses to Denver and Central.
April 2025 - Bulb outs at First and Main and Pine and Main are completed.
April 23, 2025 - Milling is getting underway on Central Avenue followed by the repaving of the street.