K-10 - South Lawrence Trafficway news and notes

[Great Lakes Roads]

It's official!

[The Ghostbuster]

There is an open house planned about the SLT project at Southwest Middle School in the cafeteria on Wednesday, October 9th at 4:30 PM: https://slt-ks.ksdot.gov/. Will anyone be able to attend?

[webny99]

https://www2.ljworld.com/news/city-government/2020/sep/22/kdot-recommends-open-access-highway-for-slt-expansion-over-option-with-tolled-express-lanes/?fbclid=IwAR1IQTKQ3R02xrOhchRd_WPAPM1RBV0h5qZDM1O7P2hqcfaHv4yfC7-SNuw

Please tell me those inner loop ramps at the new K-10 and I-70 interchange will be separated from the EB I-70 mainline via a C-D roadway.

You would like to think a major DOT wouldn't put in an interchange design that literally almost every other DOT is working to eliminate.

I would hope KDOT is just floating this as a placeholder before coming up with design options for the interchange. The design in the article looks more like something from the 1950's before we knew how to design high-speed interchanges. I know most tolling in Kansas is electronic, but this interchange would be busy enough to require manned booths until ETC becomes standardized between states.

This is a very old quote string and the original link appears to be paywalled, so I can't tell if the original I-70/K 10 interchange design is still current, but I just wanted to share the most current map from the SLT project website: https://slt-ks.ksdot.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2022-05-10_SLTW-Project-map-1.jpg

I typically endorse C/D roads for cloverleaf configurations, but I don't see the pair of loops on I-70 EB as a huge problem here. Neither of those loops should be that busy, and the dominant loop movement (K 10 WB to I-70 WB) looks like it will have a flyover.

[route56]

The I-70/K-10 portion of the SLT project has now gone to letting.

Notable things I found in the signage plans:

The SLT will have exit numbers! This will be the first non-interstate in Kansas to have exit numbers added. The signage plans for the remainder of the SLT project initially did *not* include signage, but a check of the plans on the ProjectWise server reveals that the plans were recently revised to add them.

* The access road to the Farmer's Turnpike/CR 438 is considered a 'left exit' ramp and Exit 1, with the decision point for I-70 westbound or eastbound not considered an exit.

* US 40 West/6th Street is exit 2A. Despite US 40 being the 'superior' route of the US 40/K-10 concurrency, exit numbers and mileposts continue to follow K-10

* N 1500 Road/Bob Billings Parkway is exit 2B.

* Clinton Parkway is exit 4

* Wakarusa Drive is exit 5. It also features CR 5 markings as part of a planned extension of Wakarusa Drive to the south. Douglas County renumbered some of its county roads a while back and designated the highway that loops around the west and south sides of Clinton Lake as CR 5. CR 5 currently ends at N 1000 Road, where the highway currently turns east as CR 452. There is enough opposition to the extension for the city of Lawrence to elect not to contribute to this project. Currently, the Wakarusa Extension is in the Environmental Assessment phase, I do not know whether an Environmental Impact Statement will be needed at this time.

* US 59/Iowa Street is exit 8. This is the demarcation between the west leg (currently being rebuilt from a 'super two' to a 4-lane freeway) and the east leg (built as a 4-lane freeway after considerable strife)

* CR 1055/Haskell Avenue is exit 10. Signage plans only show the exit numbers added westbound.

In addition, for the first time, a blue pentagon appears on a Kansas Interstate. The new interchange will be signed as exits 197 A-B. Exit 197A will be signed as K-10/Lawrence, Exit 197B as CR 438/Lecompton.

The new interchange is basically a cloverleaf with a two-lane flyover ramp from westbound (northbound) K-10 to westbound I-70. The two lanes of K-10 will merge gradually into westbound I-70, similar to the setup on US 69 at I-35 in Lenexa

[The Ghostbuster]

I'm glad the exits will be numbered on KS 10. Maybe more non-Interstates will receive exit numbers in the future in Kansas.

[roadman65]

Do widening plans call for the removal of the one and only K-10 traffic signal?

[The Ghostbuster]

Yes. If I remember correctly, the entire signaled intersection will be removed, and an interchange will be constructed at a different location.

[Sani]

That's interesting that they are numbering the exits on K-10! I wonder if they'll add the exit numbers all the way to I-435. I assume the actual mileage will continue to I-35 as it does now but that the existing exit numbers on 435 would take precedence.

(While we're at it, can we get K-10 added to the signage on I-35 for the exits to WB I-435? And no, I don't mean the small shield markers on nearby wooden posts — I mean on the BGS.)

Do widening plans call for the removal of the one and only K-10 traffic signal?

Yes, the Wakarusa Drive intersection will be rebuilt into a controlled access interchange:

[roadman65]

That's interesting that they are numbering the exits on K-10! I wonder if they'll add the exit numbers all the way to I-435. I assume the actual mileage will continue to I-35 as it does now but that the existing exit numbers on 435 would take precedence.

(While we're at it, can we get K-10 added to the signage on I-35 for the exits to WB I-435? And no, I don't mean the small shield markers on nearby wooden posts — I mean on the BGS.)

Do widening plans call for the removal of the one and only K-10 traffic signal?

Yes, the Wakarusa Drive intersection will be rebuilt into a controlled access interchange:

Getting K-10 placed on the overheads like getting US 50, US 56, and US 169 posted at the same interchange.   

[Sani]

Getting K-10 placed on the overheads like getting US 50, US 56, and US 169 posted at the same interchange.   

I get that KDOT likes to keep the signs "uncluttered," but hopefully they'd consider making an exception for K-10 at the 35/435 interchange since that's where K-10 actually ends.

[roadman65]

Getting K-10 placed on the overheads like getting US 50, US 56, and US 169 posted at the same interchange.   

I get that KDOT likes to keep the signs "uncluttered," but hopefully they'd consider making an exception for K-10 at the 35/435 interchange since that's where K-10 actually ends.

My thinking is that Lawrence should be added as a control city  there on the same overheads and also remove Des Moines as the NB I-35 control city there when you have to pass through both KCs to get to it.  Heck why not use OK City or Dallas going SB ( sarcasim).


Guess what? Our wonderful autocorrect changed Des Moines into DeSantis as soon as I finished typing D-E-S.   Now its into politics! I'm not surprised.

[Scott5114]

I have no idea what the heck I-35 has to do with this project. It isn't even in the same county.

[Sani]

I have no idea what the heck I-35 has to do with this project. It isn't even in the same county.

"That's interesting that they are numbering the exits on K-10! I wonder if they'll add the exit numbers all the way to I-435." <-- quoting from my reply above

K-10 runs from I-70 northwest of Lawrence to I-35 in Johnson County.

I had a parenthetical aside in my reply that I would like K-10 to be on the BGS at the I-35/I-435 interchange.

Hope that clears things up for you.

[roadman65]

I have no idea what the heck I-35 has to do with this project. It isn't even in the same county.

Responding to another poster, and using it as an example.    The other user brought up K-10 needed on guide signs at another road leading into K-10. That road of course was I-35. I compared his suggestion to other crazy things KDOT has done there to be sarcastic.