Published on September 16, 2025
Reconstruction of South Spencer Road between East First and Southeast 14th Streets will be suspended until next spring.
The project began in April. To date, the contractor, Kansas Paving, has completed Phase 1 (East First to Southeast Third) and one lane of Phase 2 (Southeast Third to the K&O Railroad crossing).
Unusually rainy weather this spring and summer has caused significant issues in the area, especially on unpaved South Hillside, which was intended to carry the detoured traffic from Spencer. The City has been forced to repeatedly close Hillside, disrupting access to property and traffic flow to industrial employers.
To help alleviate those concerns, the City has chosen to suspend the construction on South Spencer until early spring of 2026. The contractor will be on-site in the next few weeks completing temporary improvements to allow the road to open to two-way traffic.
City staff will evaluate weather and traffic conditions in February to determine how soon construction can resume. Phase 2B is expected to take 5-8 weeks, and Phase 3 (K&O Railroad crossing to Southeast 14th Street) is expected to take 10-16 weeks, weather permitting.