Pre-Construction Activities Begin on Brown Avenue

[Updated May 4, 2023 | 10:15am]

Residents along Brown Avenue from 7th Street to 12th Street may have noticed a flurry of activity in their neighborhood over the last few days.

The full-depth reconstruction of Brown Avenue from 7th to 12th was awarded to Killough Construction of Ottawa, Kansas, at the April 27th, 2023, meeting of City Council. Construction mobilization for the project is estimated to begin in late June, depending on weather and prior completion of the Walnut Avenue project. Pre-construction activities along Brown Avenue kicked off this week as utility relocates and other prep work officially got underway. Residents will see an increase in locate flags in their yards over the next several weeks as critical infrastructure is marked, including gas lines, water lines, and buried cables. City officials ask that residents not remove these flags until or unless given clearance from the responsible utility company. A misplaced or removed flag could endanger the safety of a worker or personal property.

More details regarding the project's timeline will be available soon as other projects move toward completion.

This full-depth reconstruction joins other critical street improvement work included in the City of Osawatomie's comprehensive Paving the Way Street Rehabilitation Program and has long been considered a high priority replacement. Residents along Brown Avenue will see a full reconstruction of the road's base; relocated and replaced water distribution lines; 5' sidewalks on both sides of the street; freshly poured curbs, gutters, and driveway approaches; and new stormwater management. Homes on 8th Street and 10th Street between Brown and Main will be impacted by construction as the new stormwater will be tied into the current system along those corridors.

Osawatomie Public Works Director Michele Silsbee recommends that residents who have any decorative items or ornamental plantings in the right-of-way (from the edge of the sidewalk to the edge of the opposing sidewalk) should remove or relocate them as soon as possible. Due to the upcoming relocation and replacement of water lines and new storm sewer, some trees in the public right of way have been marked for removal.

For more information on the comprehensive Paving the Way program, please visit the program homepage to get caught up on the latest news and updates. For more detailed questions or if you have concerns as an impacted resident, please contact City staff:

Michele Silsbee
Director of Public Works
[email protected]
(913) 755 - 4525
-or-
(913) 755 - 2146 x 231