WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – The addition of a Wichita area roadway and area intersections of concern to a Kansas Department of Transportation program could bring some major changes. Statewide, KDOT said 17 projects totaling $932 million are part of the IKE Development Pipeline. In project announcements Thursday, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly identified four modernization or expansion projects in south-central Kansas, totaling $453 million.
“This now clears the way for preliminary engineering work to begin on these four regional projects, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation,” KDOT announced.
Kansas Development Pipeline project types, description/scope and estimated cost:
- U.S. 54 expansion project, bypass/4-lane freeway from 1 mile west of K-11/U.S. 54 to existing 4-lanes east of Kingman in Kingman County, $173 million
- K-254 expansion project, new interchange, overpass and connector road at Webb and Rock roads in Sedgwick County, $50 million
- U.S. 54/Kellogg Avenue expansion project, 6-lane freeway east of 159th Street and east to Prairie Creek Road in Butler County, $200 million
- U.S. 50/Meridian Street interchange modernization and bridge replacement project in Newton/Harvey County, $30 million
The work to configure the intersections along K-254 at Rock and Webb roads addresses safety concerns. With a speed limit of 70 miles per hour on K-254, the points where the highway meets Rock and Webb are considered dangerous intersections.
“We hear sirens and large noises at least every other week said Sedgwick County resident Suzanne Hawley who lives near K-254 and Rock Road. She said the intersection has impacted her family.
“My son was actually in a bus accident, and that was a little bit scary, right there in that intersection. Because it is, I think, well known that it is not safe,” Hawley said.
Her neighbor, Dean Kuckelman, also wants change.
“When there are accidents, it’s not minor fender benders. It’s a send-to-the-ambulance (situation),” he said.
In adding K-254 at Rock and Webb roads to its development pipeline, KDOT said strong public input last year played a part in the project selection. Integra Technologies is planning to build a semiconductor production facility at the southeast corner of Rock and K-254.
Bel Aire approved an industrial change, a change to the zoning from agriculture to industrial. So that intersection is just going to get worse with more traffic unless KDOT does something to fix it to make it better,” Kuckelman said.
KDOT estimates that the work on K-254 at Rock and Webb roads will be a $50 million project, looking at overpasses, interchanges and a connector road.
For those living near the intersections, there’s hope with upgrades expected with the project once the work is complete.
“Rock Road really just needs to be a flyover and be consistent with every other mile, be a flyover instead of an interchange because this is primarily a residential area,” Hawley said.
For the project, moving into the construction pipeline depends on available funding and other criteria being met. As the project moves forward, those living near the K-254 intersections say they want to make sure they’re heard in this process.
You can find a full list of projects in the IKE Development Pipeline here: https://ike.ksdot.gov/projects/pipelines.
KDOT is also doing a study of K-254 corridor between Wichita east of K-96 and I-135 to El Dorado. That is to wrap up this summer, and another public meeting is planned for this spring. The K-254 Corridor Development Association, which is one of the supports of the project at the intersection with Rock and Webb Roads, has its next meeting March 15 at the Benton Community Center. It starts at 11:30 a.m.
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https://www.kwch.com/2024/03/08/major-highway-projects-address-traffic-safety-concerns-wichita-area