LAWRENCE — A legal battle to stop the South Lawrence Trafficway that lasted more than 20 years is over. The Lawrence Journal-World reported that opponents chose not to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court a lower federal court ruling that allows construction. Cleta La Brie is president of the Wetlands Preservation Goup and she told the Journal-Wworld that filing an appeal would have cost thousands of dollars with little prospect that the high court would agree to hear it. The eastern leg of the road connecting U.S. 59 and K-10 east of Lawrence would go through Baker Wetlands, which are considered a sacred area by many students and staff at Haskell Indian Nations University. Many of those students and faculty members told the newspaper that they will continue to fight the proposal by encouraging federal Congress members to cut off highway funding to the project. The Kansas Department of Transportation has said construction could begin next year, with the work to be completed in 2016.
Monday, Oct. 15, 3 p.m.
