Cole County Public Works officials have announced that crews will be laying asphalt in the westbound lanes Monday.
After the asphalt is laid, the contractor will begin work to shift traffic onto the new westbound lanes and then will close the current eastbound lanes for reconstruction. The work is being done by Don Schnieders Excavating, the contractor on the Business 50 West project in the Apache Flats area.
Prior to the lane shift, crews will be milling all the old asphalt off the eastbound lanes and center-turn lane. The process to lay asphalt, mill off the old asphalt and shift lanes is expected to take three to four days.
Work will begin Tuesday if weather prohibits a Monday start.
Business 50 West will remain open during this time. However, construction equipment will be moving in and around the work zone, and there may be temporary delays.
Public works officials said they understand the work will be an inconvenience to the business owners and motorists in the area, but this is part of the progression of the project and necessary for completion.
The improvement project is scheduled to be finished by the end of this year.