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KDOT Contract Lettings - Updated Monthly since April 2015.

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route56:
[I'm starting a new thread, as opposed to exhuming the old one]

April 2015

Got a couple of interesting projects in this month's KDOT letting.

As always, the plans can be downloaded from http://ksdot1.ksdot.org/burconsmain/contracts/proposal.asp until the day of letting.

77-31 KA 2367-02: Reconstruction of US 77/K-18 on the west side of Junction City, including retrofitting the I-70/US 77 interchange as a DDI [AKA Death Diamond (TM)]

56-57 KA 2770-02: Installation of a Roundabout at the US 56/US 77/K-150 junction.

87 K 5928-13: Signage replacement in the Wichita area.

situveux1:
My apologies if this isn't the appropriate thread for this question/comment, but has anyone noticed the low quality of work by KDOT on re-signing projects lately? I-135 in Harvey County was just done I noticed and there were several wood posts that were bent over and clearly low quality. I could even see it when driving by at 75mph. Also, they used white directional signs atop the 135 shields thru the whole county instead of white on blue background interstate directional signs. Then I saw they used the blue directional signs on US-56 in McPherson. Yea, I know it's not that big of a deal, but if we're paying for new signs, shouldn't they be correctly placed and marked and better than what was there before? Does KDOT do any follow up on their contractors to make sure they've done everything right?

Scott5114:
That's strange, KDOT signage is usually quite good...

J N Winkler:
I have not been on I-135 north of Wichita recently since it is currently under construction and I am trying to avoid the workzone.  Last year KDOT did advertise a contract to replace the large guide signs from the Sedgwick County line north to I-70, but I don't remember offhand whether the small signs (route markers, cardinal direction tabs, etc.) were included in that.  I don't think work had started on the large panel signs when I drove I-135 between the K-4 exit and Newton last November.

KDOT has had some perennial problems with small-signs work:

*  "Helvetica disease":  Interstate shields (generally knockdown replacements) with Helvetica digits in the Wichita area, county line signs on K-2 and K-42 with the county name in Helvetica, Keep Right Except to Pass in Helvetica on US 50 passing lanes in Kearny and Hamilton counties in far western Kansas, etc.

*  Shield/cardinal direction tab color mismatches.

I think it is actually pretty likely that the problematic small signs on I-135 and US 56 were placed by KDOT maintenance forces rather than contractors.  I understand that KDOT now contracts for small signs fabrication (through supply contracts, which are not part of the statewide construction letting), but I suspect the signs are still erected by KDOT personnel.

In regard to the currently advertised sign replacement contract that covers all freeways in Sedgwick County other than US 54-400, K-254, and the Turnpike, this is also the job that will ensure all surface streets are identified by suffix (St., Rd., Blvd., etc.) on the affected freeways.  Wichita's peculiarity of omitting suffixes on signs will be largely a thing of the past on the freeways, though I expect it to persist on street name signs.

route56:

--- Quote from: J N Winkler on April 12, 2015, 09:58:18 PM ---*  "Helvetica disease":  Interstate shields (generally knockdown replacements) with Helvetica digits in the Wichita area, county line signs on K-2 and K-42 with the county name in Helvetica, Keep Right Except to Pass in Helvetica on US 50 passing lanes in Kearny and Hamilton counties in far western Kansas, etc.

--- End quote ---

I haven't seen any new arialveticverstesk signs up here in northeast Kansas.


--- Quote ---In regard to the currently advertised sign replacement contract that covers all freeways in Sedgwick County other than US 54-400, K-254, and the Turnpike, this is also the job that will ensure all surface streets are identified by suffix (St., Rd., Blvd., etc.) on the affected freeways.  Wichita's peculiarity of omitting suffixes on signs will be largely a thing of the past on the freeways, though I expect it to persist on street name signs.

--- End quote ---

If I read the signage plans correctly, the "Ave." suffix is still omitted at Kellogg (US 54/400). Also, since the signage on Kellogg itself is not part of this project, there will still be omitted suffixes.

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