Quincy Street set to open in October

  Thursday, September 17, 2015 2:00 AM
  News

Pittsburg, KS

Construction crews are just weeks away from reopening a major traffic way to Pittsburg State University.

Quincy Street, the major connecting point between the bypass and the northern part of campus has been closed since mid-May as part of a planned expansion project.

“It’s a big project,” said Bill Beasley, director of public works for the city of Pittsburg. “We’re expanding the street to three lanes and adding in new stoplights at the intersection of Joplin and Quincy. We’ll begin paving this week and expect the entire project to be done in October.”

Improved roadways are becoming a common sight in Pittsburg. In fact, nearly 40 miles of traffic lanes have been repaved in just four years thanks to the 2010 passage of a quarter-cent sales tax.

“Few things will make the phones ring as loudly as bad streets,” said Jay Byers, assistant city manager. “Decreasing state revenue, flat property values and increasing material costs really had us in a pinch. Thankfully, our community understood the need and approved the sales tax. It’s made all of the difference.”

A 2009 survey performed by the city of Pittsburg reported only 39 percent of city streets were in satisfactory condition. A follow-up survey in 2014 reported the number had jumped to 50 percent.

Pittsburg State officials say the improvements are important for the future of the university as well as the city.

“We welcome thousands of visitors and potential students to our campus every year,” said Shawn Naccarato, director of government and community relations. "Few things influence their perception of our community more than the condition of our streets. It’s great to see the progress of the past few years.”

In order to continue that progress city officials are asking community members to renew the quarter-cent sales tax for another five years. A special election on the matter will take place on Thursday, September 24.

“It’s an important question for the future of Pittsburg,” said Byers. “If you’ve driven down Broadway, Michigan, Fourth or any of the 40 miles of streets that have been improved by this plan, you can see the difference it’s making in our city.”

Detailed plans for future street improvements and answers to some of the most frequently asked questions are available at pittks.org.

The special election will take place on Thursday, September 24. Those who would like to vote in advance can do so from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on September 21 and 22 at the Pittsburg Public Library.