Topekans give feedback on Huntoon Street road project

TOPEKA (KSNT) - Looking to improve roads in Topeka, the city and their design team held an open house at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library for a road project on Huntoon Street, between Gage Boulevard and Harrison Street.

Although this open house wasn't to show off what the project looks like. It was used to get public input from the community about what they want to see done. At this point in time there's no preconceived motion for the project.

"We would like to see the one lane just as they've done on 12th street to move the traffic through Topeka and to cut down on speeding and some of the other dangerous things that can happen," Topeka resident David Woods said.

Speaking of 12th street, Project Manager, Jeff Lolley says it only makes sense to work on Huntoon after completing the 12th street project.

"Some projects the road is just in a condition that if you try and maintain it, it's just going to fall apart again, and we feel like Huntoon is one of those roadways," Lolley said. "It's a significant roadway, it's a sister street to 12th street, we just redid 12th street and a lot of folks use it so it would be nice to have the sister street done as well."

With the project being funded by a half-cent sales tax, once feedback is provided the project will go forward for approval.

"We will present to the public what we heard and get some input from that, and then we will take those concepts and some high-level cost estimates to the governing body and basically have them make a decision," Public Works Department Director Braxton Copley said.

Another open house will take place in august. Lolley tells 27 News that the project is expected to start in 2027

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