Roundabout project in Stafford County one of February's approved projects

KDOT's south central Kansas Area One Engineer stands at the junction of U.S. 50/U.S. 281, where the new roundabout will be built.  

Work is expected to begin this spring on construction of a single-lane roundabout at the U.S. 50/U.S. 281 junction in Stafford County. KDOT let the project recently.

KDOT's south central Kansas Area One Engineer Scott Mullen said that there were a number of factors that contributed to building a roundabout instead of an interchange. 

"This style of roundabout is being built with special ramps to accommodate the large number of oversize loads that move through central Kansas on US-50 and US-281," Mullen said. "These ramps will allow the large loads to move safely around the exterior, while cars, pickups and normal sized trucks can move quickly through the interior roundabout." 

Mullen said safety was another consideration. 

“The roundabout prevents T-bone accidents, which can still happen at an interchange,” he said, also noting that a roundabout is about half the cost of an interchange.

Roundabouts also are more efficient than interchanges as they keep traffic moving. Turning vehicles don’t have to stop.

The junction will remain open during the phased $5.2 million project.

To read more about the other approved projects, click here. 

Westbound portion of Lewis and Clark Viaduct to be replaced

The photo above shows an overall view of the Lewis and Clark Viaduct looking west in to Kansas. 

A project to replace one of the bridges in the Lewis and Clark Viaduct was one of the projects included in the November KDOT Construction letting. This project is to replace the I-70 westbound bridge that spans the Kansas River and is nearing the end of its service life. Removal of the old bridge will begin in February.

The new bridge will be 2,980 feet long, have 20 new spans and 18 new piers. One of the new piers will be in the Kansas River. The new bridge will also contain more than 21,000 cubic yards of concrete and 3,100,000 pounds of reinforcing steel (excluding the drilled shafts and prestressed concrete beams). The bridge will contain more than 55,000 feet of steel pile and 2,100 feet of drilled shafts (72 inches in diameter).

American Bridge Company of Coraopolis, Pa., is the prime contractor on the approximately $65 million project. It is scheduled to be complete in December 2019. Debbie Tanking’s road squad and Mark Hurt’s bridge squad designed the project. 

To see all the projects in the November letting, click here.

Real time truck parking availability signs along I-70 on list of approved September lettings

An example of the Truck Parking Information Management Systems (TPIMS)

A project that will provide real time information regarding truck parking availability at rest areas along I-70 through the use of roadside signs and an electronic data feed was one of the projects included in the Sept. 20 KDOT construction letting.

KDOT is participating in the Regional Truck Parking Information Management Systems (TPIMS) along with seven other states in the Mid America Association of State Transportation Official (MAASTO) region. Custom Lighting Services LLC DBA Black and McDonald of Kansas City, Mo., is the prime contractor on the $3,083,462 project.

To see all of the projects in the Sept. 20 letting, click here.

Dynamic Message sign installations one of approved projects in August letting

Dynamic Messages signs will be installed on northbound and southbound K-7 near 43rd Street and Parallel Parkway in Wyandotte County. 

The installation of Dynamic Message Signs, cameras and radar detectors in the Kansas City Metro Area is one of the approved projects in the Aug. 23 KDOT letting.

Dynamic Messages Signs will be installed on northbound and southbound K-7 near 43^rd Street and Parallel Parkway, as well as on eastbound I-70 in Wyandotte County. The project will also include closed circuit cameras and radar detectors to be placed at various locations along I-435, K-10 and I-35 in Johnson County. The message boards and cameras will assist the Kansas Department of Transportation in fulfilling their mission in the KC Metro Area. Capital Electric of Kansas City, Mo., is the prime contractor on the $927,887.44 project.

To see all of the projects in the August letting, click here Here.

Queue detection and warning system installation one of approved projects in July lettings

Railroad crossing on K-196 in Harvey County.

The installation of a queue detection and warning system at a railroad crossing on K-196 in Harvey County is one of the approved projects in KDOT’s July letting. The system warns eastbound approaching traffic to be prepared to stop if there is any vehicle stopped at the crossing.  Trucks require more breaking time than a standard vehicle, this system will be helpful for the approaching truck traffic by providing that advance warning.  The flashing beacons tied to the detection will warn all vehicles that they need to be prepared to stop.

Phillips Southern Electric Company Inc., of Wichita is the contractor on the $62,560 project.

To see all of the projects approved in July’s letting, click here.

U.S. 169 project and others approved for April letting

A project to construct a right-turn lane on the west leg of the intersection of U.S. 169 and 175^th Street is one of the projects approved for KDOT’s April letting.  Mega Industries Corporation, of N Kansas City, Mo., is the contractor on the $362,000 project.

The work consists of several improvements such as:

sUpgrading the traffic signal poles serving 175th Street to include a protected/permissive signal (four-section head) over the existing left turn lanes. 

sUpgrading all signal heads to LED and adding battery backup to the traffic signal system. 

sAdding interconnection with the signal operation – this includes flashing beacons for 175th traffic signals and 199th traffic signal approaches.

To see all of the approved projects in the April letting, click here.

Bridge rehabilitation project one of approved January lettings

Vehicles drive over a bridge on U.S. 50 east of the Reno/Stafford county line.  

A bridge rehabilitation project on U.S. 50 in Reno County is one of the projects to be approved in the January KDOT letting.

The bridge is located about three miles east of the Reno/Stafford county line just west of the City of Sylvia, and was built in 1976. The last maintenance done to this bridge occurred in 1997 when the deck was resurfaced with a silica fume overlay.  

Now the bridge is now in need of more extensive maintenance, and this project will remove and replace the existing concrete deck. One lane of traffic will be maintained throughout the construction, which should be finished in September. Bridges, Inc., of Newton is the contractor on the $1.1 million project.

For more information on all the projects included in January’s letting, click here.