Geometric Improvement project in Coffeyville reconfigures a major intersection

The intersection of 11^th  Street and Willow Street in Coffeyville is feeling the summer heat as construction is underway and will be widened with new turn lanes and traffic signals. The City of Coffeyville is reconstructing U.S. 166 at the intersection between Spruce and Elm streets as part of a Geometric Improvement (GI) project. 

Earthwork continues on the eastbound lanes of 11th Street (U.S. 166) in Coffeyville. Two-way traffic is flowing on the westbound lanes.

Restaurants and businesses line both sides of the roadway, which is also known as U.S. 166. In the midst of it all, two-way traffic flows on westbound U.S. 166, workers grade and dig and pour concrete on the eastbound lanes.

Coffeyville Public Workers Director Chuck Shively said the completed project would result in smoother traffic flow. 

The city of Coffeyville is reconstruction U.S. 166 at the intersection between Spruce and Elem streets. 

"The old signals were becoming obsolete and the detector loops did not function correctly,” Shively said. He explained that the intersection of 11th Street and Willow Street is used as a detour route several times a year when U.S. 169 (South Walnut Street) south of 11th Street is closed for railroad crossing repairs or other construction activities.

KDOT is funding 90 percent of the project cost. The city’s share is 10 percent, plus any costs above $1 million. The GI project was awarded to Mission Construction Company, Inc., of St. Paul. The cost of construction is approximately $1.3 million. 

KDOT is funding 90 percent of the project cost of the Geometric Improvement project.

Shively said that work is progressing well as weather permits. Officials anticipate an October completion.

Coffeyville’s Dalton Defenders Museum

Coffeyville's Dalton Defenders Museum is filled with
memorabilia from the raid and the city's early days.

       After robbing a string of trains, members of the notorious Dalton gang decided to up the stakes. Vowing to “beat anything Jesse James ever did …”, the gang made plans to rob two banks at the same time, in the light of day. Cash in hand, they would skip the country and begin new lives in South America.

All the Dalton gang members passed away in the battle
except Emmett Dalton, who is shown in the upper left
corner of the photo.

       Their plan was not a success. On Oct. 5, 1892, brothers Grat, Bob and Emmett Dalton and fellow gang members Dick Broadwell and Bill Power tried to disguise themselves as they approached the C.M. Condon and Company Bank and the First National Bank, located on the opposite sides of a downtown street in Coffeyville. But a citizen recognized them and alerted other residents. Then a crafty bank clerk delayed the theft by fibbing that the safe was on a time lock and couldn’t be opened right away. This delay gave the locals time to prepare for a battle. The ensuing bloody shootout left four of the gang members and three Coffeyville residents dead.

       The famous Dalton gun battle and the citizens who defended the town are remembered at Coffeyville’s Dalton Defenders Museum. The museum houses a treasure trove of photos and memorabilia from the raid and Coffeyville’s early days. Looming large in the center room is the well-known photograph of the four dead Dalton gang members stretched out in an alley, while a lively lad named Ray Clark peers through the fence in an historic photo bomb. The Winchester rifle seen in the enlarged photo rests in a glass case to the side.

       Emmett Dalton, who survived the raid despite 23 gunshot wounds, is pictured at the upper left corner of the photo. Sentenced to life in prison at Leavenworth, Emmett proved a model inmate and was pardoned after only 14 years. Upon his release he moved to California and became an upstanding citizen in the real estate business, also working as an actor and screenwriter.

       The Dalton Defenders Museum is open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m., and is staffed by knowledgeable local guides. To date the museum has hosted thousands of visitors from all 50 states and around the world. 

       Visitors can first relive history at the museum at 113 E. 8^th Street, and then step outside to tour the Dalton Raid Site at the Old Condon Bank, 807 Walnut, and the Death Alley and Jail in the 800 block of Walnut Street.

#WZW- Geometric Improvements in Coffeyville

This geometric improvement project is being done in Coffeyville. The cost of the project is $763,900, the state is contributing 90 percent of the cost, and the city covering the remainder. 

Today's Work Zone Wednesday project highlights a geometric improvement project in Coffeyville that started in late March at the intersection of East 8^th Street and U.S. 166/169 in the city of Coffeyville. The work includes constructing a right turn lane with an island for 8^th St. eastbound traffic turning south on U.S. 166, new concrete pavement and a new water line.

KDOT awards Geometric Improvement (GI) funding annually to help cities improve intersections and address road deficiencies. Roads selected for GI funding are part of the state highway system within city limits. The percent of state funding awarded for each project is based on the size of the city and ranges from 75 percent for the largest cities to 100 percent for the smallest communities. The cities provide matching funds to cover the remaining costs. 

This project, whose work is being done by Jeff Graham Construction, is expected to be completed by mid-July as long as weather permits. More information on this and other construction projects in Kansas can be found at KanDrive.