(KAIR)--Approving the widening of a stretch of Atchison roadway is among business of the Atchison City Commission set for discussion Monday afternoon.

According to the agenda for Monday's meeting of the Commission, the goal is to widen the 200 block of Harper Drive, with the City saying Harper Drive, between 2nd and 3rd Streets, is approximately 19-feet wide compared to 29-feet wide in the block west of 3rd Street.

Now that Benedictine College's construction project is underway in that block, the City found this to be the right time to address the narrow width, with City Staff having reached out to the college and its representatives who "expressed support for the widening of Harper Drive to reroute heavy truck traffic," a matter also on Monday's agenda.

City Staff also coordinated with Benedictine's project designer and contractor "to incorporate the wider street design into their project in addition to getting pricing from the contractor to perform the work while they were mobilized in the area."

The quote received by the contractor, Lawhon Construction, is $127,367 but does not include an east-west sidewalk.

According to the City, it's believed that "by participating in the cost of an additional training wall to address the elevation issue, [which did not allow the sidewalk construction] performing some work internally and utilizing a local concrete contractor," there is a "potential to add sidewalks without exceeding the original quote amount."

The matter will be explored during today's Commission meeting, which begins at 4:30 at Atchison City Hall.