Work Zone Wednesday: Modernization project on K-7 in Cherokee County

Work on the final leg of the modernization project in Cherokee County. 

Work is progressing on the final leg of the T-WORKS modernization project on K-7 in Cherokee County. The entire improvement begins at the U.S. 400/K-7 junction at Cherokee and continues south for 11 miles to the U.S. 69/U.S. 160/K-7 junction at Columbus.

The project started in 2016 with the reconstruction of four miles between U.S. 400 and K-102. The southern seven-mile-long section, from K-102 south to Columbus, closed for construction in early June. The highway’s driving surface is being widened to 44 feet, with 12-foot lanes and 10-foot shoulders. Project activity includes major modifications to the existing highway alignment, grouting old mine shafts underneath the roadway, and bridge repairs.

At this point in construction the contractor is grading and building simple span bridges and box culverts on the closed section. The official detour route for K-7 traffic is signed along U.S. 160, U.S. 69/400 and U.S. 400.

Work on the final leg of the modernization project in Cherokee County. 

KDOT awarded the K-7 construction contract of $35.4 million to Koss Construction Company of Topeka. The road work is expected to be finished and K-7 reopened to traffic by mid-August 2018.