IOLA — U.S. 54 through downtown Iola is now expected to reopen in mid-November, with construction running roughly one month behind schedule, Assistant City Administrator Corey Schinstock told City Council members.
Schinstock said curbs along the newly poured stretch of highway should be in place by Thursday, with sidewalk replacement scheduled to begin next week. Crews also are expected to begin installing electrical infrastructure for replacement downtown stoplights later this week.
Contractors have been communicating with downtown business owners to coordinate sidewalk work around their operating hours and limit disruptions.
“There are a number of stores closed on Monday, so I think they’re gonna try to do some then,” Schinstock said.
Responding to a question from Councilman Jeremiah Ivy, Schinstock said the project is roughly a month behind schedule. Officials originally hoped to reopen the highway by Nov. 1, but that timeline has shifted to the middle of the month.
Councilman Doug Kerr also raised concerns about water runoff during torrential rains.
“We’ll get it managed,” Schinstock said.
