July letting paves the way for transit vehicles to utilize shoulder along I-35 in Wyandotte County

Transit vehicles have utilized the shoulders on I-35 in Johnson County since 2012. This service will now be expanded along I-35 into Wyandotte County as well.

A project to allow transit vehicles to utilize the shoulder along I-35 during times of congestion and continue the efforts of bus-on-shoulder operations in Wyandotte County is one of the projects approved as part of KDOT’s monthly construction letting for July.

In 2012, Johnson County Transit started operating on I-35 after legislation was passed in 2011 for the section in Johnson County only. Legislation passed last year allowing for it to be operational in Wyandotte County. Improvements along I-35 in Wyandotte County will be made as a part of this project, and completion of this project will now allow for usage of the shoulder on I-35 for the entire stretch from Johnson County to Wyandotte County.

The transit vehicles can operate on the shoulder at speeds of no more than 10mph above traffic flow and at a maximum of 35mph. The operation increases travel time reliability for the transit vehicles which can ultimately lead to increased usage of transit and serves as a congestion mitigation tool. In 2016 buses utilized the shoulder 2,053 times traveling more than 2,000 miles on the shoulder.

Gunter Construction Company of Kansas City is the contractor on the $119,058.15 project. To see all of the projects in KDOT’s July construction letting, click here.

Three bridges in Kiowa County on U.S. 400 set to be repaired, more projects let

PCI Roads of Saint Michael, Minn., will make repairs to three bridges on U.S. 400 in Kiowa County as part of a $706,224 project approved in the Kansas Department of Transportation’s  June 20, 2018, monthly bid letting.

Crews will perform compaction grouting at a box bridge just east of the Ford County line. Compaction grouting is a technique that reinforces soil and stabilizes the ground. This work is to help correct some settlement issues at the bridge.

PCI Roads also will patch the deck and replace expansion joints on a bridge crossing the Union Pacific Railroad and patch the deck of a third bridge that crosses U.S. 54.

A total of 31 projects totaling approximately $9.5 million were approved as part of the June 20 letting. To see all of the approved projects, click here.