Flood patrol: How KDOT crews assist with roads affected by high waters

During heavy rainfall events, with even the slightest chance of flooding, KDOT crews are on the lookout to help keep everyone safe by monitoring the roads in Kansas.

Crews keep a close eye on flood-prone roads and areas of concern and they watch for high water that may come onto the roadway.

“Due to the wet winter and wet spring, this year we put many workers on standby during several storms to monitor the flooding situation at numerous locations,” said James Roudybush, Maintenance Engineer in north central Kansas.

When water is only partially over the roadway and it is safe to drive on another part of the road, KDOT crews flag vehicles around the high water so traffic can continue to flow.  If the water becomes too high for traffic to safely go around or the high water around the road has caused unsafe conditions, the roadway will be closed until it is safe to reopen.

“We set up traffic control and try to ensure traffic doesn’t go past the barricades to keep everyone safe,” said Billy Wilson, Highway Maintenance Supervisor in Strong City.

If you come across an area with water over the roadway that is not being controlled, you should call 9-1-1.  Crews will then determine if the road should be closed until water goes down or if part of the road is safe to drive on.

In order to safely reopen the highway, all debris must be removed that may have floated onto it and the roadway surface and any bridges must be inspected for damage.

“After recent flooding we have had to cut up trees with a chainsaw and remove them from bridges or roadways to prevent damage,” Wilson said.

If there is damage to the roadway or bridge, it may have to be repaired before it can be reopened.

Crews work hard to reopen roads after flooding has occurred. Please remember to give the crews room to work and never drive around a barricade.  Remember: if you come across high water, turn around, don’t drown! More rain is in the forecast this weekend. 

Set in stone: Concrete pavement patching extends life of Kansas roads

Bryant & Bryant Construction crew members use a concrete saw to score the pavement in a rectangular shape. 

By Donna Tollerton,

Public Affairs Manager, northcentral Kansas 

Concrete pavement patching plays a critical role in extending the life of our roads. A recent example of this type of project took place in Saline County on I-135.

The process starts with KDOT crews marking the areas that need to be patched by the contractor. This allows our crews to specify the amount of concrete needed and helps make sure all areas are patched.

A concrete saw is then brought in to score the pavement in the shape of a rectangle. This shape is important because the patches are rectangular for ease of constructability, requiring less manual labor. They generally last for about seven to 10 years. 

Crews patch concrete to extend the life of the road surface. 

After the concrete saw carves out the shape, a milling machine is used to break up the existing concrete. This process is completed by hand with jack hammers because the machine can't cut square corners. After this process is finished, the concrete is then poured in place.

Remember, if you see highway workers to slow down, move over and give them room to work. 

A handheld jackhammer is able to reach the sharp corners of the shape.