Starting on October 1st, the Kansas River Public Access on Saline Road in North Topeka will be closed while necessary construction takes place at the river weir and boat ramp area. The river will be completely closed during construction due to the contractor building a bridge over the boat chute to drive equipment over the weir. There will be no access to or from the boat ramps on Saline Road in North Topeka. Portage of boats through the construction zone is possible on the north bank. This project is phase 2 of the Kansas River weir construction project. Phase 1 of the project was completed earlier this year and included a boat chute for safe passage. For safety reasons the entire area will be closed to the public during construction, including the safe passage area, and construction is expected to last until early 2022.
The project underway at this location will include additional safety features on the south side of the river weir. The project includes the installation of rock and concrete surfaces on the downstream side of the weir to improve public safety.
For river users, recommended alternate locations for river access during construction are the boat ramps in Kaw River State Park or Seward Avenue Access.
You can learn more and follow the progress of the project using the Topeka Open Projects Dashboard under Project Number T-281058.01, KS River Weir Upstream Modifications.