Road construction and detour technology innovations

KDOT crew members from Garden City installed a temporary detour sign for the
U.S. 50/83 bypass project earlier this year. 

Road construction season is here and those orange barrels and cones seem to be popping up everywhere. While some may be frustrated by this season, road construction is essential to effectively and efficiently maintain our highways. Thanks to technology and innovation, today’s drivers can navigate road construction and detours much easier than drivers in the past. 

For example, 50 years ago when a driver encountered a detour, the driver had two options— follow the detour signs and most likely arrive late to their destination or get out the paper map and find an alternate route.  Eventually, road construction, detour routes and traffic updates became available on the radio and in the newspaper, making it easier for drivers to anticipate detours and delays and choose an alternate route if possible. 

Drivers today can access detour information in many ways, making it possible to avoid road construction and detours altogether. This makes it easier to prepare for and navigate road construction and detours when necessary.  Social media apps like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram give cities, counties and states the ability to communicate current information on road construction and detours to drivers with minimal delay, so that drivers can better plan their travel.

In addition, apps like Mapquest, Googlemaps and Waze provide a variety of tools including live traffic updates, road closure information and even alternate routes.

In metro areas, drivers will often find smart work zones that are designed to predict travel time and delays or speed through the construction zone in real time.  Alternate routes and travel times using those routes may also be predicted by allowing drivers to make informed decisions ahead of work zones. 

These smart zones help prevent driver frustration, encourage drivers to take alternate routes, reduce congestion and keep traffic flowing. They also help make work zones safer for both travelers and highway workers.

In addition, many state DOTs have their own websites and/or apps that provide detailed road construction and detour maps and current road conditions.  Kansas road conditions are available by visiting www.Kandrive.org. 

KDOT encourages drivers to take advantage of these and other technology and travel innovations. Remember to “know before you go,” in order to make travel as enjoyable and safe as possible during this road construction season.

Work to begin soon on Garden City’s U.S. 50/83 bypass

KDOT Crews in Garden City hoist a detour sign into place. 

 The U.S. 50/83/400 bypass in Garden City is one of the most heavily traveled highways in Southwest Kansas carrying almost 11,000 vehicles per day with 23 percent of those being heavy commercial traffic. 

According to Brian Kierath, Jr. with KDOT’s Bureau of Road Design in Topeka, “This project is a full depth pavement reconstruction to replace concrete and asphalt pavement, some of which dates back to 1984. Pavement age, combined with a high percentage of truck traffic makes this a necessary project at this time.”

Koss Construction is the contractor on this $11.2 million project which started Wednesday, March 20 and is expected to be completed in December. 

The project will be completed in phases and includes the following improvements:    

• The addition of turn lanes at Campus Drive facilitating smoother traffic flow;
• Improved lighting at the Fulton Street interchange;
• A dynamic messaging sign (DMS) being added along U.S. 50 east of Campus Drive to advise drivers of road conditions; 
• Improvements to the City system at Spruce Street through a partnership between the City of Garden City and KDOT which will limit road closures at this intersection for the traveling public.

KDOT crews in Garden City install signage the help drivers navigate the detour.