The City of Bel Aire has filed a lawsuit against an engineering firm, a planning firm and a construction company over the failure of pavement in a project to improve a section of Woodlawn.
The suit claims professional negligence and a breach of contract resulted in pavement failures on a project to improve Woodlawn between 37th and 45th Streets North. The city is looking to recover damages to redesign and reconstruct the road, and the Kansas Department of Transportation has estimated that the cost could be between $3 million and $8 million.
The lawsuit names Mid-Kansas Engineering Consultants (MKEC), Pearson Construction and Garver, LLC. City leaders said they spent more than a year in discussions with all interested parties but could not reach a satisfactory option.
The city has canceled its contract with MKEC and has hired Professional Engineering Consultants to begin work on the reconstruction of Woodlawn. KDOT will help the city with short-term financing for the project.
Bel Air Mayor Jim Benage said in a press release, “The failure of this project has been a huge burden on the citizens of Bel Aire. Our City staff and Council are frustrated by this adversity, but we are more determined than ever to get this job done right, and get it done as quickly as possible.”
