MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON — After months of delays, the Avenue C bridge as part of the Woodie Seat Corridor Phase II project is expected to be complete soon. This is the final step that will allow Woodie Seat to reopen.
Speaking during a recent update, Public Works Director Cecil Weible said crews are awaiting the results of a moisture test before moving forward with the final stages of work.
Once testing is complete, contractors will perform a pot blasting process on the bridge surface before applying a protective coating. Weible said the coating is the same type used by Reno County on its Arkansas River bridge.
The bridge is the final major component of the Woodie Seat Phase II project, which originally carried a substantial completion date of Jan. 31, 2026. The city later extended that deadline to March 27 because of weather-related delays and additional work added through change orders.
As of April, city reports indicated the Avenue C bridge repair work was approximately 77.5% complete, while nearly all other portions of the corridor project had been finished. Repairs included full-depth replacement of the bridge median and both bridge edges, followed by installation of a 2.25-inch concrete overlay on the bridge deck.
The Woodie Seat Corridor improvement project began in September 2023 with Phase I construction. That phase was completed in June 2024, allowing the roadway to reopen to traffic while city engineers finalized designs for the second phase.
Phase II planning continued through late 2024 and included removal of the Avenue B bridge, corridor regrading, construction of a roundabout near Avenue A, and improvements to sidewalks and neighborhood access points. Construction officially began in February 2025.
In January, the roundabout on Avenue A between Adams and Madison streets reopened but the remainder of the freeway remained closed as work continued on the Avenue C bridge.
By April, most major construction activities had been completed. Remaining work included pavement markings, landscaping establishment and completion of repairs to the Avenue C bridge.
The Woodie Seat Corridor project represents one of the city’s largest transportation improvement efforts in recent years. In addition to resurfacing and roadway improvements, the project is intended to strengthen connections between Hutchinson and South Hutchinson, replace aging bridge infrastructure, improve pedestrian access and support future redevelopment opportunities in the southwest Bricktown area.
With final bridge work now underway, city officials expect the corridor to be fully completed later this month.