Highway projects en route

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Dec 28, 2004 by Tim Hrenchir Capital-Journal

Officials plan road projects

RELATED

Carlson Road has been blocked off so a bridge over Post Creek can be replaced.

Page 2C

ONLINE

Find expanded coverage of road projects in the Topeka area. cjonline.com

HIGHWAY PROJECTS

US-40 highway: Work began in July to widen part of US-40 just west of Lawrence.

Kansas Turnpike: Five bridges were reconstructed this year between Topeka and Lecompton. Work begins next week to widen the turnpike between those cities.

SOURCE: Kansas Turnpike Authority and Kansas Department of Transportation

By Tim Hrenchir

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

A highway project designed to enhance the commute between Lawrence and Topeka is in full swing, and another is scheduled to kick off next week.

Workers since July have been widening US-40 highway just west of Lawrence. And on Monday, the Kansas Turnpike Authority plans to begin a project that will give motorists an extra lane in both directions between Topeka and Lecompton.

Officials will continue to allow two lanes of traffic going each direction during the $53.8 million turnpike widening project, for which new lanes will be added outside the current lanes, said Tom Wurdeman, the turnpike authority's chief engineer.

"We're not going to restrict traffic," he said.

The turnpike authority last year announced plans to widen the 12.69-mile stretch between the turnpike's Lecompton interchange and its East Topeka interchange.

"We need to do it because East Topeka and Lecompton have had tremendous traffic growth," said Michael Johnston, the turnpike's president and chief executive officer. "We either add capacity to meet that growth, or we have lower and lower levels of service."

Wurdeman said the turnpike authority this year finished reconstructing five bridges over the turnpike between Lawrence and Lecompton so they will clear six lanes when the highway is widened.

Widening of the turnpike generally will start near the Lecompton exit and work its way west, Wurdeman said. Plans call for the project to be finished by spring 2007.

The Kansas Department of Transportation expects to finish by late summer or early fall of 2005 a $14.5 million project that will widen US-40 from two to four lanes roughly from west Lawrence's Wakarusa Drive west to K-10 highway.

KDOT spokesman Steve Swartz said work began July 8 on the project, which includes construction of a raised median. Left-turn bays are being cut into the median at five intersections, he said.

Some grading work is being done on the hilly stretch of road as a safety measure to improve sight distance for motorists, Swartz said.

Tim Hrenchir can be reached

at (785) 295-1184

or tim.hrenchir@cjonline.com.

Please see PROJECTS, Page 8A

Continued from Page 1A

Projects: Grading planned for hills

MIKE SHEPHERD/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Lawrence residents who commute to Topeka on US-40 highway will have to drive past construction.