Editorial — ‘New’ 75th Street will enhance Prairie Village

A key stretch of 75th Street through Prairie Village could look like new after some streetscape improvements and other upgrades are completed. Exactly when that will happen though is up in the air.

City Public Works Director Keith Bredehoeft said Monday that the project — going west from State Line Road to Mission Road — could be completed in 2015. Part of the uncertainty involves how long it could take this year to acquire easements along the street.

The city must meet federal guidelines as it prepares for the work because the U.S. government is providing about two-thirds of the project’s total $2.5 million cost. Prairie Village is supplying the rest of the money. The city qualified for the federal funds through a competition overseen by the Mid-America Regional Council.

The proposed investment, endorsed by the Prairie Village City Council last month, is a wise one given the significance of 75th Street as a traffic connector for the city.

The project will include some new sidewalks, lighting, curbs and gutters. Plus, Water One will replace a water line along the roadway that has suffered an unusual number of breaks.

City leaders also have backed a good plan to place a monument at the intersection with State Line Road to tell motorists and pedestrians they are entering Prairie Village.

“The council wanted more than just a rehabilitation project,” Bredehoeft said. Stone columns and landscaping are part of the current plan for the entrance monument.

The 75th Street improvements should make be a positive addition to Prairie Village, no matter when they get done. But the sooner, the better.

This story was originally published January 7, 2014 at 4:39 PM with the headline "Editorial — ‘New’ 75th Street will enhance Prairie Village."