(KAIR)--The widening of a stretch of Atchison’s Harper Drive is approved, with Atchison City Commissioners Monday granting approval for the expenditure of $130,000 to make it happen.  

The vote followed a presentation by Atchison Public Works Director Clinton McNemee who explained the City’s goal, in the widening of Harper Drive between 2nd and 3rd Streets, is to contract with Lawhon Construction, already at work in that area as part of a Benedictine College construction project. The problem, according to McNemee, is the construction firm’s project bid does not include the addition of an east-west sidewalk.  

Following approval of the contract for the street-widening project, McNemee presented to the Commission proposed changes to the City’s ordinance regarding heavy truck traffic routes, including prohibition of such traffic on 2nd Street south of Harper Drive.  

Changes to the ordinance would not take effect until after completion of the widening of the 200 block of Harper Drive, which is partly being done as part of the rerouting of heavy truck traffic.  

Following discussion, the Commission unanimously approved the changes, including removal of North 2nd Street, from Main to Harper Drive, from the list of authorized heavy truck routes, instead establishing Harper Drive, from 2nd Street to K-7 Highway, as a heavy truck route.  

The ordinance additionally removes currently listed downtown streets from the list of approved routes, with the City saying they were not intended to be “thru-traffic” truck routes, likely added “to address deliveries to downtown businesses. However, both the current and proposed ordinance includes an exemption to those trucks making such deliveries.