Large street project in Ponca City’s future

Seems like improvements around Ponca City never stop, such as sidewalk and road construction. The sidewalk construction downtown is done and awaiting the City Commission’s approval on Sept. 8. And Mike Lane, Ponca City’s Traffic Engineer said Ash Street should be finished this week.

"Ash Street from Liberty to Emporia has been under construction for about the last 75 to 80 days or so," Lane said. "The rains we got slowed us down with that project a little bit, but all the main line paving was poured last week, they are joint sealing now and they have laid the sod along the edges."

Ash Street was just a concrete reconstruction project, but Ponca City is going to see a big project soon. Kay County has decided to make Hubbard from Waverly to 14^th into a four lane road, which will taper back to two lanes just east of Waverly. Lane said this isn’t a heavy traffic road, but it may help clear out 14^th.

"There is around 2,500 cars a day, which is not a lot of traffic for four lanes, but I think it was something that’s part of our interest, to get some trucks off of 14 ^th," Lane said. " We did all the improvements to Waverly several years ago, and that’s been improved up to Hubbard. This would be the link from Waverly to 14 ^th to try to get some through trucks going around the west side of town rather than going through town and going up 14 ^th Street."

This project is scheduled to begin Dec.1 and the area will close down for about a year. Lane said those dates are subject to change though, since it’s technically a county project with some state involvement.