Frequently Asked Questions
What is the process if the City of Bel Aire needs some of my property?
There are multiple reasons for the City to acquire property along the route. In some cases, permanent street right-of-way may be necessary to construct improvements. In others, the city may need an easement to construct underground drainage improvements that will allow the property owner to otherwise use their property. It may also be necessary to obtain a temporary construction easement to allow grading adjacent to the project.
When those instances occur, the city will work with a land acquisition agent to determine the value of the property being impacted. Tract maps will be prepared showing proposed improvements and their impact on each property, and that land acquisition agent will work with the property owner to negotiate a fair price. The city will then reimburse impacted property owners for the required right-of-way, easement or other acquisitions that have been identified.
Will any of the intersections have new signals?
The intersection at 45th and Oliver is being evaluated by a traffic study to be either a signalized intersection or a roundabout. The results of that traffic study will be considered by the City Staff and recommendations from that study will be presented to the City Council. Public input will be considered as part of the final decision-making process as well.
The intersection at Edgemoor is also being upgraded to accommodate pedestrian movements. While the intersection may not have full signalization installed immediately, it will be configured with underground cables and service structures to allow the easy upgrade to signals when the requirements are met.
It should be noted that any signals installed with this project must meet KDOT traffic guidelines to allow federal funds to be used in construction.
Will the road be asphalt or concrete? What other design elements are included?
The mainline portion of the roadway will generally be a three-lane asphalt pavement with curb and gutters. The mainline pavement at the Oliver and Edgemoor intersections will be concrete pavement. The side street intersections into the adjacent subdivisions will be constructed using concrete pavement with new asphalt placed as necessary to match the roadway grades.
Asphalt deceleration lanes will be included at Krueger, Westlake, Edgemoor, Auburn, Hedgerow and Farmstead to provide a safer environment for vehicles turning into those additions.
Will there be access to my home and property during the project?
The project will be constructed in multiple phases with the goal to keep safe access to all residences and properties along the route throughout the construction of the project. With the location of the Sedgwick County Fire Station on Woodlawn, the preliminary plan is to carry traffic westbound only during the project to allow faster response in case of emergencies. This will also allow a faster route for citizens who may be commuting to work via K-254 and Hillside. Neighborhoods with multiple access points off of 45th Street may be restricted to one point of access at various points throughout construction
Citizen feedback on access issues and phasing is very important. Please visit the interactive map 🔗 on this website to leave comments for this project.
When is construction scheduled to begin?
The project is tentatively scheduled to begin in Summer 2025. However, because of the project’s federal funding, the design of the roadway will be reviewed by KDOT. That review process won’t begin in earnest until the final project funding has been programmed into the Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (WAMPO) Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) budget and the project bid date could be changed to meet the requirements of those outside entities.
How much will the project cost and how will the project be funded?
The preliminary estimate of cost for the project is $12.2 million. That cost is preliminary in nature and subject to change based on the final design and construction costs at the time of project bidding.
The project will be funded in part by state and federal funds that are provided as part of the local Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) that is administered by the Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (WAMPO). That amount is typically around 80% of the project’s total construction cost. The balance of any remaining costs will be paid by the City of Bel Aire using General Obligation Bonds. These bonds will be paid off by all citizens of Bel Aire.
The frontage road proposed near 45th and Oliver will be paid in part by the property owners that are served by that frontage road as part of the City of Bel Aire’s roadway improvement policy. Other properties along the route are not subject to any special fees or taxes for the construction of this roadway.
Is there any landscaping being done on this project?
With Bel Aire’s long history as a Tree City USA, it is important for landscaping to be considered along the length of the project. Landscaped medians were considered in the project design but were not included due to concerns about Sedgwick Fire Department roadway width and access requirements. A preliminary landscaping concept has been prepared for City staff to review and elements of that concept will be implemented into the final project as much as possible with the funding available. The area at the southwest corner of 45th and Oliver will be prepped for a future bike/pedestrian pause point that will be implemented as future funding allows.
Will this project connect into other sidewalks and other bike/pedestrian facilities in the area?
Bel Aire has been working on a bicycle/pedestrian master plan and this project will be designed to connect into existing sidewalks along roads in the area. The City of Bel Aire is also partnering with the City of Wichita and USD 259 to get a sidewalk extended along the south side of 45th Street over to Stucky Middle School to provide a safe route to school for students that choose to walk.
The project will connect into the existing sidewalks in Eagle Lake Park as part of this project as well. A part of this improvement will be to relocate the street crossing at Sunrise Christian Academy over to Edgemoor to provide a more direct connection for students crossing 45th for school.
What will be done to keep the project on schedule?
There are many elements that can negatively impact the schedule of the project and delays are common during construction activities. In order to minimize those issues, this project will have geotechnical investigations done prior to completing final design and hydro excavation of existing utilities will be conducted to verify crossing conflicts that might otherwise delay construction. The City will also work with the selected contractor to establish milestone dates and develop construction phasing plans to minimize negative impacts on adjacent properties and minimize construction time.
