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Started by NE2, May 29, 2011, 03:36:38 PM

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NE2

What's the deal with US 54-400 at Cheney? There are two interchanges, half a mile apart, at 383rd and 391st Streets: http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=37.66699&lon=-97.77774&zoom=15&layers=M (I checked aerials and they're clearly both in use).
pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".


J N Winkler

#1
They were not signed for 383rd and 391st Sts. W. originally.  When this freeway length of US 54 was built in the mid-1970's, the west exit was signed for K-251, the town of Cheney, and Cheney Lake, while the east exit was signed for St. Joe (locally called St. Joe Ost).  Neither Google Maps nor Openstreetmap show St. Joe, which is unincorporated.  When the US 54 freeway was reconstructed from Garden Plain to Kingman in 2002-03, KDOT replaced all the signs and substituted cross street names for town and geographical feature names on the advance guide and exit direction signs.  (I am not aware that an explicit reason for this decision was ever given, but I suspect it had to do with facilitating navigation by emergency vehicles.)  Cheney and Cheney Lake have both been relegated to supplemental guide signs, and I am not sure St. Joe is still signed anymore.

When the road was originally constructed, I believe that Cheney and St. Joe received separate but closely spaced interchanges because they were considered separate communities and normal KDOT policy is to provide one freeway interchange per distinct population center in a rural area--cf. the cases of Goddard, which KDOT has been trying to limit to one freeway interchange despite the fact that it is growing into a Wichita exurb, and Greensburg, where (IIRC) KDOT acquiesced to a split diamond.

Edit:  I have come across new information.  St. Joe does appear in the DeLorme Kansas gazetteer, at the intersection of 37th St. N. and 343rd St. W.  KDOT does provide an exit at 343rd St. W. which is now signed for St. Joe on supplemental guide signs.

I have also realized that my memory as to signing prior to the 2003 reconstruction is unreliable.  I cannot exclude the following possibilities with regard to the pre-2003 signing:

*  East exit asked about in the original post (383rd St. W.) was originally signed for Cheney town--in fact both 383rd and 391st Sts. go to Cheney, but 383rd St. is the more direct route to the center of Cheney, while 391st St. passes it on its western fringe

*  West exit (391st St.) was originally signed for St. Joe in addition to Lake Cheney and K-251--this arrangement would have been logical if 343rd St. W. was unpaved when the US 54 freeway was originally built, since in the absence of a paved 343rd St., K-251 and its continuation north and east of Lake Cheney become the fastest paved route to St. Joe.  In fact 343rd St. is now paved

Lake Cheney (north of US 54-400) is used primarily as a reservoir to store drinking water for the city of Wichita, but it is also a heavily used state park with boating and other recreational opportunities.  This is why 391st St. W. between US 54 and 21st St. is on the state highway system as K-251.  Regardless of the preferred access to St. Joe, 383rd St. is also a more convenient access to the town of Cheney (just south of US 54), and this may have been why a separate exit was built in the 1970's.  The two destinations could have been served by a single crossroad at a common exit, but this would have been an awkward arrangement necessitating an offline relocation of K-251.

I am not aware of any exit lists covering US 54 pre-2003.  Highway Heaven (checked using the Web Archive) never seems to have hosted or linked to any.  The roadgeek community (in the early 2000's) seems to have been generally oblivious to the existence of a US 54 freeway in far western Sedgwick County.  I believe that the 2003 reconstruction was performed through KDOT contract number 54-87 K-6398-01, advertised for construction in January of that year and awarded for $16 million.  The signing plans almost certainly include removal sheets which would have shown the signing on US 54-400 immediately prior to the reconstruction.  However, KDOT does not have an online plans archive, and getting the plans out of KDOT through an open records request would be a difficult project necessitating patience and a willingness to pay fees (hard to predict as to magnitude) for retrieval and production.
"It is necessary to spend a hundred lire now to save a thousand lire later."--Piero Puricelli, explaining the need for a first-class road system to Benito Mussolini

corco

Probably not much help for explaining why it's there, but I have exactly one photo relevant to the situation- the overpass is 383rd, with 391st coming up.

As Winkler says, it's signed as 391st St with a supplemental sign for Cheney Reservoir

Here's that photo (warning: high res)


NE2

Quote from: J N Winkler on May 29, 2011, 04:48:50 PM
When the road was originally constructed, I believe that Cheney and St. Joe received separate but closely spaced interchanges because they were considered separate communities and normal KDOT policy is to provide one freeway interchange per distinct population center in a rural area--cf. the cases of Goddard, which KDOT has been trying to limit to one freeway interchange despite the fact that it is growing into a Wichita exurb, and Greensburg, where (IIRC) KDOT acquiesced to a split diamond.
This is what I was looking for; thanks.
pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".

roadman65

Has any work commenced on the 15 mile realignment of K-14/ K-96 yet in Reno and Rice Counties as part of the Northwest Passage project?
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

J N Winkler

Quote from: roadman65 on November 17, 2022, 01:39:12 PMHas any work commenced on the 15 mile realignment of K-14/K-96 yet in Reno and Rice Counties as part of the Northwest Passage project?

I have not been out that way lately, so I don't have field observations to draw on.  KDOT awarded the relevant contracts--14-78 KA-1007-02 (for Reno County) and 14-80 KA-1007-03 (for Rice County)--in March 2021 for a combined cost of just under $82 million.  Google satellite imagery for the general area has a displayed copyright date of 2022 and does not show any grading in the corridor, but this doesn't necessarily mean work hasn't started.
"It is necessary to spend a hundred lire now to save a thousand lire later."--Piero Puricelli, explaining the need for a first-class road system to Benito Mussolini

roadman65

#6
Is Wyatt Earp Blvd. in Dodge City still signed as US 50 Business?

I get the impression that it's now been relinquished by KDOT and is been municipally maintained since US 400 got realigned to bypass Downtown ( which used to be overlapped with US 50 Bus.) within the last twenty years.

It would make sense being all of the business route was overlapped with other routes, and US 400 being pulled off it would give it no purpose unless KDOT wanted an independent business designation.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

kphoger

Quote from: roadman65 on June 15, 2023, 06:51:23 PM
Is Wyatt Earp Blvd. in Dodge City still signed as US 50 Business?

Not to my knowledge, no.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

The Ghostbuster

Even though Business 50 is long gone from Dodge City, Google Maps still marks it on the western end between US 50 and Matt Down Rd.: https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7559139,-100.0590239,808m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu.

Stephane Dumas

Quote from: J N Winkler on November 17, 2022, 02:35:28 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on November 17, 2022, 01:39:12 PMHas any work commenced on the 15 mile realignment of K-14/K-96 yet in Reno and Rice Counties as part of the Northwest Passage project?

I have not been out that way lately, so I don't have field observations to draw on.  KDOT awarded the relevant contracts--14-78 KA-1007-02 (for Reno County) and 14-80 KA-1007-03 (for Rice County)--in March 2021 for a combined cost of just under $82 million.  Google satellite imagery for the general area has a displayed copyright date of 2022 and does not show any grading in the corridor, but this doesn't necessarily mean work hasn't started.

There's some work who had beginned like the construction of an overpass along with some grading north of McPherson.
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=38.22001,-98.19305&z=14&t=S

route56

The City of Lawrence put out a release announcing the start of the construction of the SLT/6th Street interchange

Quote from: City of Lawrence

KDOT project to begin in Lawrence today

Announced by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) last week, a KDOT project at the interchange of U.S. 40 (6th Street) and K-10 in Lawrence is scheduled to begin on Monday, July 24, weather permitting.

The project will reconfigure the current interchange to a diverging diamond interchange (DDI) and add a sidewalk with barriers for pedestrian protection down the center of the bridge. Phases I and II of the project will primarily take place west of the interchange, along U.S. 40 and East 900 Road. The current East 900 Road intersection tie-ins will close to allow room for the new interchange configuration. The north intersection of East 900 Road will be relocated to the west of its current location. The southern intersection tie-in will be permanently closed, and a cul-de-sac will be constructed for local traffic.

This work will require U.S. 40 to temporarily close later this summer for approximately 100 days. Phase III is expected to occur in the 2024 summer months and will require a complete closure of the interchange when U.S. 40 and the K-10 ramps are reconfigured to create the diverging diamond layout. Motorists will be notified, and traffic information will be provided prior to the closures.

Work will take place Monday through Friday, and Saturdays as needed, during daylight hours and is expected to be complete by the end of 2024.

To stay aware of highway construction projects across Kansas, go to www.kandrive.org or call 5-1-1.

The official US 40 detour during the closure of 6th Street is K-10 and the Turnpike.
Peace to you, and... don't drive like my brother.

R.P.K.

mvak36

Saw this update about the Pittsburg Bypass on the KDOT site today.

Quote
KDOT stopping work on U.S. 69 Crawford County Corridor western alignment; starting new corridor study later this year

In response to feedback from communities and residents along U.S. 69 in Crawford County, the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) is stopping any further progress on developing the western alignment of the Crawford County Corridor (also known as the Pittsburg Bypass). This includes stopping design work and planned construction of the U.S. 160 improvements (Phase 3) of the Crawford County Corridor. That project would have extended U.S. 160 to the west along 590th Avenue.

Discussions about improving the U.S. 69 corridor have been happening for decades. The project would expand an 18-mile corridor of U.S. 69 to a four-lane freeway, starting at the Cherokee-Crawford county line and continuing north of the City of Arma.

Over time, KDOT has done preliminary engineering and environmental reviews, working with cities and counties along the U.S. 69 corridor. The last study on the project was completed in 2012, and at that time, the western alignment was presented as the preferred alternative. While there have been ongoing conversations through KDOT's Local Consult process and individual project meetings, until this spring, KDOT had not had a dedicated conversation with communities along the corridor about the project in more than 10 years.

In May, more than 350 people attended city council and county commission meetings where KDOT presented about the U.S. 69 Crawford County Corridor. The overwhelming
majority of people KDOT heard from were opposed to the western alignment of the U.S. Crawford County Corridor. The most common reasons included:
- The cost of the project relative to its benefit to the community;
- The last study was completed in 2012, and there have been significant changes in
development since that time;
- Impacts to homes; and
- The potential impact of a new bypass on towns and existing businesses in the area.

"We heard loud and clear the U.S. 69 corridor is a top priority for southeast Kansas,"  said Greg Schieber, KDOT State Transportation Engineer. "We also heard things have changed since decisions were made more than a decade ago, and we need to step back and work with communities to find the right solution for the future of U.S. 69. Infrastructure improvements are expensive, and we want to invest in projects that not only improve the state highway system, but also align with the needs and visions of Kansas communities."

Later this year, KDOT will start a new corridor study to re-evaluate the current highway and identify the current and future needs of the communities along U.S. 69 in Crawford County. The study will include an updated traffic and safety analysis to help determine viable options to improve the Crawford County Corridor.

To help inform the study, KDOT will establish a stakeholder group composed of representatives of the cities, county, and businesses along the corridor to hear a variety of perspectives on the priorities in the region. The study will include a robust public outreach effort and multiple opportunities for public input. It will take 12-18 months to complete the new study.

At this year's Local Consult meetings in October, KDOT will not list a specific U.S. 69 Crawford County Corridor project for discussion. At the last two rounds of Local Consult, KDOT heard from southeast Kansans that improvements to U.S. 69 in Crawford County are a priority. KDOT is actively taking steps, like this new corridor study, to address that priority. The study needs to be done so that KDOT can have projects for consideration at the next round of Local Consult meetings in 2025.

As more information about the study schedule and opportunities for input are available, KDOT will post information online at: https://www.ksdot.gov/us69crawfordcountycorridor.asp.

Counties: Counties visited
Travel Mapping: Summary

rte66man

Quote from: mvak36 on August 11, 2023, 01:50:33 PM
Saw this update about the Pittsburg Bypass on the KDOT site today.

Quote
KDOT stopping work on U.S. 69 Crawford County Corridor western alignment; starting new corridor study later this year


So another 10+ years until they turn dirt.
When you come to a fork in the road... TAKE IT.

                                                               -Yogi Berra

mvak36

https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article278341184.html
Quote
As Kansas' first-ever express toll lanes are under construction on U.S. 69 in Overland Park, the state is now considering adding more to ease congestion on another highway in Johnson County: Kansas 10.

The Kansas Department of Transportation is studying how to address traffic and safety issues on the 17-mile stretch from the interchange with Interstates 435 and 35 in Lenexa, west through Olathe and De Soto to the Douglas County line. And officials said one option could be widening the highway with one express toll lane in each direction. The other lanes would remain free.

...

As western Johnson County continues to grow, with major projects such as the development of the $4 billion Panasonic plant in De Soto, the state has prioritized improving K-10. Officials have been analyzing solutions since last fall.

...

The state wants to decide how to expand the highway by next spring.

KDOT is completing a study to explore widening K‑10 to three lanes in each direction, with express toll lanes, from Cedar Creek Parkway to I‑435.

...

Cross said complete reconstruction of the 17-mile highway is estimated to cost $1.6 billion. But that work would be constructed in phases over time, as needed.


Project Website: https://k10.ksdot.gov/
Counties: Counties visited
Travel Mapping: Summary

The Ghostbuster

So, this study is about pre-existing easternmost freeway segment of K-10, not the portion between Interstate 70 and US 59 that is planned to be converted into a four-lane freeway. I wouldn't be surprised if, in the distant future, the toll lanes eventually continue west of the County 442/N. 1400 Rd. interchange.

mvak36

#15
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on August 22, 2023, 09:01:28 PM
So, this study is about pre-existing easternmost freeway segment of K-10, not the portion between Interstate 70 and US 59 that is planned to be converted into a four-lane freeway. I wouldn't be surprised if, in the distant future, the toll lanes eventually continue west of the County 442/N. 1400 Rd. interchange.

Yes. This is the part in Johnson County, not Douglas County (Lawrence). It got moved up the priorities list due to the Panasonic plant going up in Desoto. The thing I'm looking forward to is the system improvements at the K-7 and I-435/I-35 interchanges like they mentioned on their website.

I wonder if they can do the majority of the Johnson County Gateway (I-435/I-35/K-10) Phase 3 as part of this project. I know they had a map back in 2016 or so that showed what they would do in a future Phase 3, but unfortunately they took that site down after Phase 2 was completed.

This is all assuming they can find the funding for this of course.
Counties: Counties visited
Travel Mapping: Summary

roadman65

I just finished driving K-10 and US 40 in Douglas County and noticed that some county roads use blue pentagon shields like many other states use on secondary roads.

So far I haven't seen them in any other county. Is that quite common in Kansas?
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

J N Winkler

Quote from: roadman65 on September 11, 2023, 11:05:17 PMI just finished driving K-10 and US 40 in Douglas County and noticed that some county roads use blue pentagon shields like many other states use on secondary roads.

So far I haven't seen them in any other county. Is that quite common in Kansas?

A few counties do use the pentagon--besides Douglas, Riley (Manhattan) and Harvey (Newton) come to mind among the counties with large urban centers.  A few counties out in western Kansas used to have, and may still have, their own custom shields.
"It is necessary to spend a hundred lire now to save a thousand lire later."--Piero Puricelli, explaining the need for a first-class road system to Benito Mussolini

kphoger

Rawlins County, where I grew up, used a few blue pentagons, but not a whole lot of them.

To follow up on Jonathan's comment, Harvey County's pentagons are the right shape and color, but they're still not exactly what I'd call "standard".

Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

Scott5114

Leavenworth County also uses the blue pentagons.

I believe Cowley County, in south-central Kansas, does as well.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

route56

Quote from: J N Winkler on September 11, 2023, 11:12:20 PM
A few counties do use the pentagon--besides Douglas, Riley (Manhattan) and Harvey (Newton) come to mind among the counties with large urban centers.  A few counties out in western Kansas used to have, and may still have, their own custom shields.

I believe that the signs you're thinking of were actually a State standard that was abandoned when the blue pentagon design became part of the MUTCD.


18769 by Richie Kennedy, on Flickr


18763 by Richie Kennedy, on Flickr

Both of these photos were taken by me back in August of 2003. It is quite possible that they have been replaced by blue pentagon markers or just removed.

Also, I can verify that Linn County has used blue pentagon county route markers:


43823 by Richie Kennedy, on Flickr
Peace to you, and... don't drive like my brother.

R.P.K.

roadman65

I see the realignment of K-14/96 in Reno and Rice Counties is completed.  Was in Hutchinson today, and saw that it is open and the old 56th Avenue and K-96 intersection was converted to a four way stop.  Plus the old alignment is a dead end as the transition from the new alignment to the original super two bypass is smooth.

I would think that they would reconnect Nickerson Blvd to the old K-14/96, but did not.  So I'm guessing KDOT transferred ownership of the old state highway to county control as no new route number is assigned.  Tomorrow  I will drive the whole thing to photograph it all.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

roadman65

I also see that in Cherokee County that US 166 & 400 are being widened to four lanes east of their west split to the MO State Line.  Currently all of US 400 and US 166 is closed from US 69 ALT to K-26 and both routes are detoured onto K-66 and K-26 until crews complete the project.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

roadman65

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53197157804_8fdad4c947_k.jpg


Is there a reason why the NB and SB bridges over I-70 are built differently?  I was always curious as both roads on top were always a divided freeway since the interchange was constructed many decades ago.

Yet one is a girder supported structure  (NB US 81) while the other  (SB US 81) is just concrete with reinforcement rods supporting the deck internally ( I am not sure the lingo used for it, and don't want to assume its prestressed concrete). 
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

roadman65

https://www.flickr.com/photos/54480415@N08/albums/72157719881439968
Here are some new photos of the K-14 & 96 super two extension north-west of Hutchinson included within my album page.  So far I uploaded three photos of the 56th Avenue interchange which is directly east of the former At Grade the older alignment (now called Nickerson Blvd.) where it used to intersect along side the Union Pacific line.

I will add more soon, but just to give you an idea of how that aligment looks.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe



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