By Ryan Duey

Marsh and Mark Bachamp of Olsson Engineering introduced three concepts for the 2025 Buckeye Avenue CCLIP project to the Abilene City Commission during their last regular meeting. The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) will contribute $400,000 toward surface preservation. The project spans Buckeye Ave. between NW 5th Street and the Union Pacific Railroad, focusing on surface preservation and streetscapes.

Option one includes basic surface preservation, sidewalk replacement, and adding bulb-outs to street corners. It also includes connecting railroad crossing signals to traffic lights at Third Street. Options two and three expand on these improvements.

Option two proposes a road diet, transforming sections of Buckeye into a three-lane roadway with a central left-turn lane and wider parking spots. Option three converts Buckeye into a two-lane road with angle parking, which would potentially cause longer traffic delays during train stops.

Both options require safety updates to Third Street, including push buttons for crosswalks and ADA ramps. The city will host a meeting with business owners on July 24th at the Abilene Public Library.