https://www.ksnt.com/news/local-news/highway-shutdown-to-create-nearly-70-mile-detour-in-central-kansas/
COUNCIL GROVE (KSNT) – Drivers in part of central Kansas will have to deal with a lengthy detour route this summer for a highway project that is set to last for months.
The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) released its plans to shut down part of K-177 Highway on KanDrive earlier this month. The closure runs from Council Grove south to Strong City in Morris and Chase Counties.
KDOT workers will close K-177 between these two cities starting at 8 a.m. on Monday, June 16, according to KanDrive. The closure is projected to end on Friday, Nov. 14.
(https://www.ksnt.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/86/2025/05/KanDrive-Detour-K-177-Map.png?resize=876,658)
Road crews will reconstruct the first four miles of K-177 to the south of Council Grove in the summer and into the fall of this year. KDOT will close K-177 to accommodate this project, leading to a long detour.
Drivers trying to reach Council Grove from Strong City will be directed west on U.S. 50 to K-150, west on K-150 to U.S. 56/U.S. 77, then north on U.S. 56/U.S. 77 to Herington before taking U.S. 56 east to Council Grove. Southbound drivers will follow the same route but in reverse to reach Strong City.
KDOT said drivers should expect a delay of about 45 minutes added to travel time. Google Maps shows the detour route is around 70 miles in length and will take about an hour to complete.
People can view road work taking place in Kansas or that is scheduled to happen by heading to the KanDrive website, downloading the app or calling 511.
While I am sure this is inconvenient for those impacted, we are talking about cities of 2,200 and 400 people and less than 1,000 vpd along the highway.
Surely there are local roads that people who are familiar with the area can use?
Quote from: hbelkins on May 21, 2025, 01:51:08 PMSurely there are local roads that people who are familiar with the area can use?
Not paved, no.
This (https://maps.app.goo.gl/FXdT1fskyZf3T5Ni9) is the best I can come up with, and even that includes going straight
here (https://maps.app.goo.gl/iL8mX1CpMqjrU2rE7). Google estimates that it only shaves eight minutes from the official detour, and you'd better hope it hasn't rained recently.
The Flint Hills area is pretty fascinating from a geological and historical perspective. The only reason that it hadn't been consumed by crop fields as were much of the rest of the Great Plains is the very rocky soil that made it impossible to plow. The region thus became a ranching region instead, and thus lacks the road network that other areas of the Great Plains have.
No mention is made by KDOT about blocking access to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve; there would be no reason for that as the relevant section being reconstructed is well north of it. Though KDOT doesn't spell it out, K-177 has a bridge over Fourmile Creek dating from 1952 that is likely being replaced as part of this project. That would be the main reason to block through traffic through there.
There's a surprising amount of Google Street View coverage of the area given the lack of population and road network. Suffice it to say most of the roads in the region are best traversed with a competent 4x4 vehicle.