Kansas 4, Shawnee County

[route56]

Thursday, there was a public meeting on a concept proposal for re-aligning K-4 in Northern Shawnee County.

KDOT purchased much of the ROW for this project in the 1990s as part of building the Oakland Expressway, but construction was not and still is not funded north of US 24.

The current proposal calls for K-4 to be built as a two-lane facility, with the roadway tying in to the existing K-4 just north of 46th Street. Access would be fully controlled up to 54th Street.

The existing trumpet interchange with US 24 would be reconfigured into a partial cloverleaf. Loop Ramps would be added in the Northeast and Southeast quadrants (EB K-4 to WB US 24 and EB US 24 to EB K-4, respectively. The existing EB K-4 to WB US 24 ramp would be reconfigured to be the WB K-4 to WB US 24 ramp. A "dumbbell" roundabout interchange would also be built at 46th Street, with "old K-4" tying into one of the roundabouts.

Under this plan, traffic wishing to to from K-4 west to US 24 east, or from US 24 west to K-4 east, would utilize "old K-4" and the roundabouts at the 46th Street interchange.

As noted above, there is no funding for this project at this time. Estimated cost is $26 million, and this week's meeting is mostly there to introduce the concept and gauge support for this project.