Kansas Department of Transportation: Wichita Metro Home page

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A new PRIMARY seat belt law for Kansas has been signed by the Governor. Law enforcement officers will now stop and ticket drivers and front-seat passengers who are not wearing safety belts. Kansas is the 31st state to enact a primary seat belt law. The seat belt use rate in the state has been 77% (43rd in the nation).

Gov. Mark Parkinson was in Wichita May 26 to sign the new $8.2 billion Transportation Bill. KDOT produced a short video with some highlights from this and other signings across the state that you can view here .

The Amtrak Feasibility Study for expanded passenger rail service (including restoration of service to Wichita) is available for your review. A number of other helpful documents are also posted at www.ksdot.org (scroll down to Amtrak News). Open house public meeting have been held in Lawrence, Wichita, Ark City, Newton, Emporia, Topeka and Shawnee. Coming up: Info meetings in Hutch and Dodge City.

Can the Wichita Metro Statistical Area (Sedgwick, Butler, Harvey & Sumner counties) stay in compliance with federal air quality standards? Check the metro Air Quality Index for particulate matter, ozone and carbon monoxide.

KanDrive, www.kandrive.org, is the information portal that connects travelers to a one-stop gateway for travel information resources. It includes links to an interactive map of Kansas highways, work zones, weather conditions, snapshots from 30 cameras on I-70, KC Scout and much more.

Keep Right, Pass Left. A Kansas law passed in 2009 requires that drivers on roadways outside of cities, with two or more lanes in the same direction, must drive in the right lane unless they are making a left turn or passing another vehicle. Warnings will be issued until July 1, 2010 then the fine will be $60 + court costs.

A video celebrates the completion of the Comprehensive Transportation Program (CTP), a ten-year success story for Kansas roads. Wichita's own Dale Goter, Tim Witsman and State Senator Les Donovan make cameo appearances. View the CTP video.

Cable barrier, designed to reduce crossover crashes on divided highways, is planned for K-96 between I-135 and Rock Road. Details in the news release. However, the project has been delayed because of the cuts to KDOT's highway construction program (state funding crisis).

The City of Wichita hosted a public meeting in March 2009 (left) to share design concepts of East Kellogg from Webb Road to the Butler County line. Four and a half mile stretch divided into two projects. Still to be determined: how to tie into the Kansas Turnpike just west of Webb.

If you use the Kansas Turnpike a lot, you might want to subscribe to their text messaging service. Info on weather, road conditions and crash-related traffic problems are sent to your phone. Sign up >>

K-TAG is the Kansas Turnpike Authority's electronic tolling program. You can save 15% and breeze through the toll plaza without stopping. Easy to purchase (online or at several retail outlets) and easy to use. Read about the two K-TAG options.

Five statewide highway projects were selected for American Recovery & Reinvestment Act dollars. Included is the I-135/47th Street South interchange – see the fact sheets on the projects at KDOT’s ARRA info site.

Kansas Transportation Online Community (KTOC) now boasts over 1,000 members. Lots of information plus your comments are welcomed!

ITS in Wichita, KS At the Confluence is a blog at KTOC focusing on Wichita.

A video features KDOT employees telling their stories about work zone dangers. Watch Behind the Vest (WMV).

Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) is the use of electronics, computers, sensors, communications and management strategies to improve roadway safety and transportation system efficiency. Read about Wichita’s project.

Current Projects

Click on the tab for details on current projects.

I-135/Kellogg

I-135 & U.S. 54/400 (Kellogg) Interchange
Start date: May 18, 2009 Phase 2 begins March 15, 2010.
Completion: 2nd phase should be finished in October 2010
Contract amount: $19,686,450.01
Prime contractor: Wildcat Construction
Scope of work: Phase 1: Replaced one bridge, repaired 7 bridge decks, expanded exit ramps. Phase 2 repairs four bridges on ramps, four bridges over highways and rebuilds ramps from I-135 to Kellogg.
Special notes: 2nd phase starts March 15. Ramps from I-135 to Kellogg will be closed March - Sept. 2010.

I-135 & 47th St.

I-135 & 47th St. South Interchange
Start date: August 2009
Completion: 2011
Contract amount: $16,147,807.10
Prime contractor:Dondlinger & Sons, Wichita
Scope of work: Reconstruction of the I-135/47th St. Interchange, improvements to the 47th & Broadway intersection and access solutions along 47th St. between I-135 and Broadway.
Special notes: Concrete has been poured for the reconstruction of the south side of 47th and the east side of Broadway at the 47th St. intersection. NO LEFT TURNS at 47th & Broadway. Construction of two new bridges has begun (over Big Slough Creek and the south half of the 47th St. bridge over I-135).

Night Work Overlays

Three Locations I-235, W. Kellogg, E. Kellogg
Start date: July 5
Completion: Late Summer
Contract amount: $3,182,645.62
Prime contractor: APAC
Scope of work: Mill & asphalt overlay
Special notes:All asphalt in place. Permanent pavement markings soon.

Wichita ITS

Intelligent Transportation System
Start date: Ongoing
Completion: 2011
Contract amount: Bid opening for Phase 1 equipment has been delayed (State budget constraints)
Prime contractor:
Scope of work: Phase 1 includes 28 cameras, 20 dynamic message signs, Traffic Mgmt. Center and Web site
Special notes: Test Project (6 cameras, 6 portable signs + a Traffic Mgmt. Center) is installed and operating. Phase 1 will cover I-135 from Lincoln to 53rd St., U.S. 54 (Kellogg) from Tyler to Woodlawn, and the I-235/K-96/Meridian interchange.

Stimulus for the Metro :

Transportation projects funded by the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act approach $400 million in Kansas. The Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (WAMPO) distributed $16,377,300 to stimulus projects in the Wichita region. Figures listed are final bids accepted and do not reflect additional engineering costs, other funding sources, or features of a project not funded with ARRA funds.

Andover - South Andover Road, Cloud to Harry - $3,214,497, Lafarge NA, Wichita (construction underway)
Derby - Madison Ave., K-15 to Rock - $355,666, Cornejo & Sons, Wichita (Start: June 7)
Haysville - W. Grand Avenue resurfacing - $686,665, Cornejo & Sons, Wichita (construction underway)
Park City - Broadway Bridge over Chisholm Creek - $1,277,390, King Constr., Hesston (construction underway)
Sedgwick County - Rock Rd. overlay, Oak Knoll to 63rd - $1,305,476, Shilling Constr., Manhattan (Start: June 21)
Wichita - Broadway, Central to 12th - $424,950, Cornejo & Sons, Wichita (construction completed)
Wichita - Hillside, 9th to 12th - $766,135, Dondlinger & Sons Constr., Wichita (construction underway)
Wichita - Hydraulic, Harry to Kellogg - $3,107,791, Pavers Inc., Salina (construction underway)
Wichita - Maize Road, Pawnee to Kellogg - $3,338,760, Cornejo & Sons, Wichita (construction underway)
Wichita - Washington, 1st to Central - $392,406, Cornejo & Sons, Wichita (construction underway)
Valley Center - Ford Street Bridge - $798,605, King Constr., Hesston (Start: Summer)

Low bids have resulted in more projects:

Sedgwick County - 295th St. West, 21st - 61st - $731,171.96, LaFarge NA, Wichita (construction underway)
Wichita - Harry, Greenwich to 127th (construction underway)

An additional $128,823.57 in deobligated Recovery Act funds have been made available to the WAMPO region. The City of Wichita has identified a project on Woodlawn (Harry to Lincoln) as the preferred project to receive these funds and expects to obligate prior to the September 30 deadline.

Previously announced ARRA projects include:

An interesting part of the stimulus funds for rural transit includes a provision requiring KDOT to spend 15% of the $14M on intercity bus service. So $2M has been set aside for bus service between Wichita to Salina and Wichita to Pueblo (Colorado). A request for proposals (RFP) will be issued soon to select a provider.

More news:

The Northern Flyer Alliance is a group of citizens dedicated to expanding passenger rail service from Fort Worth to Kansas City via Wichita. The City of Wichita passed a resolution (PDF) supporting this idea. A study (PDF) by Amtrak is underway.

Going fishing? Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks provides weekly fishing updates and KDOT has a couple of public access lakes at Hydraulic and 45th St. North. Here are maps to many of Sedgwick County's fishing locations.