Opponents file lawsuit over Lawrence trafficway

LAWRENCE, Kan. | Opponents of a plan to build a Lawrence trafficway through the Baker Wetlands have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block construction.

Environmental groups and the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation announced Friday that they filed a lawsuit against the Kansas Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration.

Once completed, the South Lawrence Trafficway would carry traffic from Kansas 10, on the southeastern side of Lawrence, to Interstate 70, on the northwest side.

Opponents contend the trafficway would damage the environmental and historical integrity of the wetlands, which are near Haskell Indian Nations University.

Proponents say the route through the wetlands is the most fiscally responsible and the most efficient way to move traffic around Lawrence.