I-70 reconstruction project continuing in Gove County

By Lisa Mussman, 

Northwest Kansas Public Affairs Manager  

A multi-year reconstruction project on a portion of I-70 in Gove County in northwest Kansas has kicked into high gear for the summer.

The eastbound lanes have been milled down in preparation for the new pavement this will be installed this summer and fall.

 Project work includes pavement replacement on both the eastbound and westbound lanes on a nine-mile stretch starting one mile west of the K-23 spur near Grainfield and ending four miles east of K-211. Work began last fall with the installation of temporary crossovers in preparation for the new pavement, with the eastbound lanes scheduled to be completed in 2019 and westbound lanes in 2020.

Construction crews work on the new span bridge that will carry eastbound I-70 over Gove County Road 62. 

Additional project work also includes pavement replacement at the eastbound and westbound rest areas near Grainfield, construction of new right of way fencing, lighting installation at exits 95 and 99, and reconstruction of the box structure carrying Gove County Road 62 under I-70 into two new span bridges.

Part of the project includes polymer overlays on the bridges at exits 95 and 99. Crews first prepare the surface for treatment by shotblasting, followed by an application of epoxy and covered by chat. The surface is then cleaned and a second layer of epoxy and chat are applied. The overlay will help seal any cracks and not allow water and salt to penetrate into the surface, helping to extend the life of the bridge.

 

Traffic through the construction area has been to one lane in each direction in the westbound lanes. Drivers are urged to slow down and use caution when traveling through work zones!

Updates on the project and current travel impacts can be found at www.I70Gove.com. For information on additional construction projects around the state, visit www.kandrive.org.

Pothole patrol

KDOT crews clear debris and dirt away.

By Lisa Mussman, 
Northwest Kansas Public Affairs Manager

After a long season of battling snow and ice, KDOT crews are starting to shift their focus to repairing the damage winter weather has left behind on the roads. Among that damage is a plethora of potholes dotting the pavement in all parts of the state.

Potholes are formed when moisture left over from snow and ice seeps into cracks in the pavement. When the temperature drops, water freezes and expands the pavement, causing it to bulge and crack. Cars driving over these trouble spots eventually cause the pavement to break up, forming a pothole.

KDOT has a variety of methods and tools available for pothole patching, one of them being spray patching. Spray patching is done with a specialized trailer mounted machine, reducing the need for many different pieces of equipment. Crews recently utilized this method on a portion of U.S. 36 in Norton.

The process begins with clearing any debris and dirt out of the hole.

One of the ways crews can repair a pothole is using the spray patching technique. 

 

A tack coat may then be applied, followed by a layer of emulsified asphalt and aggregate. The emulsion is essentially the glue that will hold the asphalt together in the hole.

Finally, the hole is topped with a layer of dry rock and excess materials are swept up. After a short curing period, the patch is ready to withstand traffic.

The final step of filling a pothole is by adding a layer of dry rock that will help the
 patch be able to withstand traffic. 

As KDOT begins to ramp up its pothole patrols, motorists are reminded to slow down and move over for crews working.

Concrete stitching helps preserve the driving surface

By Priscilla Peterson,
Public Affairs Manager, Southeast Kansas 

KDOT maintenance crews from Independence and Altoona recently took advantage of some mild winter days to perform a preservation activity called concrete stitching on sections of U.S. 400 in Montgomery County. 

The process is used to pin cracks in the driving pavement back together, preventing elevation and separation issues in concrete slabs.

To stitch the pavement, first a crew member measures the crack and paints locations that will be drilled at an angle to the crack. The painted spots are then drilled and cleaned.

Steel pins are placed alongside each drilled location, and epoxy is applied to each hole before the rebar pin is inserted.

Each pin is placed at a 35-degree angle to the crack and hammered into the hole.

Pin securely placed, more epoxy is applied and the hole is smoothed over.

The stitched section is now ready for crack sealing, as shown in a previously stitched and sealed location next to the work zone. And now, on to the next section! 

Work zone billboards raise awareness across the state

Billboard design featuring Garden City crew members. 

The Kansas Contractors Association and KDOT have teamed up with several digital billboard companies across Kansas to promote work zone safety as part of National Work Zone Awareness Week. Lisa Knoll, KDOT’s Public Affairs Manager in southwest Kansas, said that the billboards were the idea of Frankie Burns, the Subarea Supervisor in Ulysses.

 “Frankie’s crew took a break for a crew picture for KDOT’s #MoveOverKS safety campaign,” Knoll said.  “He suggested we get that crew picture on the digital billboards in Garden City to help drivers understand that our crews are their friends, family and neighbors, and they have loved ones that want them to come home safely every night.”

Knoll said that they reached out to Mr. Media, who owns the boards in Garden City, and found that the company was willing to donate the space for a few weeks this month.

“We contacted the owners of the billboards in Liberal and Dodge City, who were willing to help, and the project just grew from there,” Knoll said.

Billboard design featuring crew members from Dodge City.

In a short time, the project developed enough that the KCA, a professional association of heavy, highway and utility contractors, stepped up to assist with coordinating the billboard donations. 

“Safety is one of the most important aspects of our trade,” said Michael White, Executive Director of the KCA.  “For highway contractors and anyone else working close to busy roadways, safety is always the number one priority for the workers who are focused on doing their jobs and for those driving through work zones. The KCA is pleased to promote safety whenever possible to help ensure highway workers remain safe in work zones and the traveling public can get to where they are going safely.”

At least 10 different digital billboard companies have agreed to run the work zone awareness graphics, which will feature KDOT crews on billboards as space is available in 14 Kansas counties from April 1 – 15. 

Billboard design featuring crew members from Wichita.

Brian Baker, a spokesman for Advertising Images which manages several digital billboards in Sedgwick County, said that they are happy to donate some of their billboards for the cause.

“Advertising Images is proud to support the safety of hardworking men and women improving the roads for KDOT and Kansas drivers and we are happy to be a part of this campaign,” Baker said.

National Work Zone Awareness Week begins next Monday, April 9. You can show your support for highway workers by wearing orange on April 9, which is Go Orange Day in Kansas. Remember to always slow down in work zones and pay attention.

Be on the lookout for these billboards across the state! Let us know if you see them!

Work Zone Wednesday: A closer look at maintenance efforts across the state

There are many unsung heroes that work along the side of the roads and behind the scenes to help maintain the highways. In today’s Work Zone Wednesday, we will look at a few ways KDOT maintenance crews work to keep Kansas moving.

Mowing
Troy Whitworth, KDOT’s Assistant to the Director of Operations, said one of the ways KDOT maintains the highways is by mowing any excessively tall grass and weedy areas around intersections, curve ramps and entrances. Mowing these areas helps to improve sight distance.  He said KDOT crews usually operate medium duty farm type tractors with brush hog mowers that have 10 feet or 15 feet mower decks.

Burke Richter, a KDOT Equipment Operatorr, mows grass along U.S 156 east of Garden City. 

Some grasses and plants that grow alongside Kansas highways are visually appealing and serve as natural habitat for wildlife. Because of this, KDOT has partnered with the Kansas Audubon Society to develop a mowing policy that accomplishes roadside management that is both beautiful and functional along our roadways.

David Shaw, a KDOT Equipment Operator, mows grass along the U.S. 50 bypass near Dodge City.

Painting

KDOT maintenance truck lays down fresh painted
lines along the highway. 

Whitworth said that painting lines on our highways provides traffic guidance and are important to let drivers know where they are while driving on the roadway.

“Painting pavement lines provides defined lanes for the traveling public to drive in,” Whitworth said. “By using the painted lines, you will know if you are driving on two-lane roadway with head-to-head traffic or a multi-lane highway where the traffic is all traveling the same direction. Without the pavement lines, you may not have a frame of reference for the roadway at times of low light, night time or during inclement weather.”

KDOT’s paint is embedded with reflective glass beads that cause light refraction, which makes the lines glow when headlights shine on them at night. The longevity of the reflective lines can vary and sometimes maintenance crews are dispatched to repaint the lines, especially after a bad winter. Snow plows can damage the pavement markings by scraping off the reflective beads while clearing the roadways.

Signing

KDOT Maintenance crews update a speed limit sign in this photo from 2011.

Whitworth said that there are three types of signs along the roadway: Regulatory, warning and guide signs. Regulatory signs alert drivers of the laws and regulations that are enforceable. Warning signs guide the driver when it comes to making important decisions on how to operate the vehicle. Guide signs provide the driver with navigational information.

KDOT signs are typically made of aluminum metal sheets and are cut or stamped out of the shape that is required for a specific sign, such as an octagonal stop sign.

KDOT crews install signs along state highways.

“The adhesive material that is applied to the aluminum shape may have a reflective quality to it and is pressed into the aluminum shape,” Whitworth said. “Typically, the sign shape has holes that are cut during the stamping process, which allows workers to mount the sign.”

There are times when a sign may need to be repaired or replaced.

“If the sign face is worn, faded or the reflective sheeting is damaged, we may need to replace the sign if it no longer serves its purpose,” Whitworth said.

KDOT maintenance workers face several challenges while working along the highways.

“Traffic and traffic control are some of the challenges of working on the roadway,” Whitworth said. “Traffic speeds and inattentive drivers can really cause issues during any work that is being done on or near the roadway. Our employees are also out in extreme conditions throughout the various seasons.”

Remember to slow down in work zones and always be aware of your surroundings. Never use your cell phone while driving and look out for highway workers.