Kansas DOT interesting contract advertisements

[J N Winkler]

This thread is similar in purpose to the parallel thread dealing with Oklahoma DOT contract advertisements.

In Kansas this month:

*  106 KA 1892-01:  Statewide signing (I-70 in western Kansas):

http://www.ksdot.org/burconsmain/contracts/Proposals/Plans/510112353p.pdf

The link given above is guaranteed to remain good through the letting date of November 17.  After that time it will disappear from KDOT's website.  The file itself is likely to remain available at that URL for somewhat longer (until KDOT does housekeeping), but no promises.

There are a total of 27 pattern-accurate sign design sheets (out of 149 altogether), including Kansas' new E85 sign and (for European readers) the Kansas version of the chopsticks sign.  It seems that KDOT is abandoning strict discipline and mixing street and town names on advance guide and exit direction signs, which is deprecated in the MUTCD.  Gorham and Dorrance have both lost their feeder state highways, apparently while this project was still under design (the sign layout sheets show advance guide and exit direction signs with large blank spaces where state highway shields would go, and the sign design sheets show the same sign panels wrapped tightly around the text legend, without room for shields).

[route56]

I saw and downloaded it as well....

One thing I saw: the control city on I-70 west of Hays has changed from "Limon" to "Denver"

[J N Winkler]

Big project in this month's letting (12 volumes of plans in all):  69-46 K-8251-08 (I-435/US 69 interchange revamp, including construction of braided ramps).

http://www.ksdot.org/burconsmain/contracts/proposal.asp

The links will remain good only through bid opening day, which is this coming May 18.

I count about 58 sign panel detail and sign elevation sheets for the permanent signing, all in Volume 8.  I haven't looked at the construction signing yet--it should be interesting since Kansas DOT is an aficionado of orange-background guide signing, though not to nearly the same degree as Michigan DOT.

[route56]

I'm surprised that KDOT hasn't considered that provision in the 2009 MUTCD "Interchange numbering shall be used in signing each freeway interchange exit." US 69 exits are unnumbered - and 69 is full freeway clear to Fort Scott now.

[J N Winkler]

I have been wondering for some months now how they propose to address that provision.  As far as I can tell, they are still leaving exits unnumbered in all new off-Interstate freeway construction--not just US 69, but also US 59, US 54, K-18, etc.

[Alps]

Not all states designate freeways the same way. California, for example, is very explicit where a "freeway" begins and ends, and even signs it. NJ constructed some routes as "Freeway" back in the day (NJ 55), but doesn't do it that way anymore (such as 33 around Freehold). So which roads fall under the "mandate" to exit number? After current and future Interstates, it starts to get hazy. We may know as road enthusiasts what's a freeway or not, but the state may want to define it to suit their own needs.

[J N Winkler]

So which roads fall under the "mandate" to exit number? After current and future Interstates, it starts to get hazy. We may know as road enthusiasts what's a freeway or not, but the state may want to define it to suit their own needs.

I am not sure there is that much space to whipsaw around the exit numbering requirement.  The typical Kansas non-Interstate freeway meets all of the elements of the AASHTO definition of a freeway and is typically Interstate-compatible (i.e., meets Interstate design criteria without actually being an Interstate).  The main difference between Interstates and non-Interstate freeways in Kansas is the presence of a prohibition sign on Interstate on-ramps.  There is no question that both Interstates and non-Interstate freeways in Kansas meet the MUTCD definition of a freeway (§ IA.77)--"a divided highway with full control of access."

Even if Kansas tried to get around that in much the same way as other states manipulated the meaning of "multilane exit" to use non-Lunenfeld & Alexander signing for option lanes, there would be more of a risk of FHWA disapproval because the hypothetical Kansas policy would result in denial of a service to motorists, rather than substitution of a different type of service.

[route56]

June 2011 Letting is out: http://www.ksdot.org/burconsmain/contracts/proposal.asp

Project of the month: US 50 near Hutchinson. The letting is to widen 50 from 2 lanes to 4 from the East K-61 Junction to Yoder Road/Airport Road  and upgrade to a full freeway. Aside from correcting a sharp curve near K-61, the new roadway would remain on top of the existing US 50, with the current lanes serving as the eastbound lanes.

On signage, KDOT has yet to sign for 2009 MUTCD compliance. In addition to not using exit numbers, the westbound signs for the Yoder Road exit are not signed to freeway standards - the non-freeway signs are in ALL CAPS.

[J N Winkler]

(Thread exhumation permit will be displayed on request.)

KDOT advertisements for March 2013 are now online, at the usual URL, and include a contract which will be of particular interest to Wichita residents--a RWIS camera and VMS installation project.  This will supplement the existing Wichway camera coverage by adding new cameras at I-235/Broadway, Kellogg/Armour, Kellogg/Tyler, Kellogg/Maize, I-235/MacArthur, I-235/I-135 (south directional wye interchange; multiple installations), I-135/K-15, and I-135/Pawnee.

Kellogg already has heavy camera coverage from the airport connector interchange east to Woodlawn, so this contract extends it at both ends at approximately the same density.  Unfortunately, this contract still leaves I-235 and K-96 largely bare of RWIS coverage away from their system interchanges.

KDOT is using the same heavy, stubby-looking 70' concrete CCTV poles it used with (and may have pioneered on) the first Wichita ITS contract, whose camera feeds were opened to the public in November or December 2011.

[agentsteel53]

(Thread exhumation permit will be displayed on request.)

can you start a separate thread for Kansas DOT boring contract advertisements?  I'd really like to know about a single pothole in Salina, or two new NO PARKING signs in Hays.

[J N Winkler]

can you start a separate thread for Kansas DOT boring contract advertisements?  I'd really like to know about a single pothole in Salina, or two new NO PARKING signs in Hays.

I personally don't find ITS contracts interesting in and of themselves, either.  But I mentioned this one for two reasons:  (1) we have (at last count) three regulars from Wichita, and (2) it raises the question of anisotropy of RWIS camera coverage.

In rural (statewide) Kansas, KDOT's RWIS coverage is concentrated in the I-70 corridor.  For years there were just two cameras in southern Kansas--one in Garden City and one in Chanute.  Now new cameras have been added in Garden City, Liberal, McPherson, and Pittsburg, but coverage still favors I-70 heavily.  (The Turnpike has RWIS cameras but most of them are useless since nearly all of them, with the sole exception of the camera at MP 103 in the Flint Hills, show just the approaches to toll plazas.)  In Wichita, nearly all the RWIS coverage is on six-lane freeways--not four-lane freeways like I-235 and K-96.

Ten days ago we had a major blizzard in Kansas, followed several days later by a smaller snowstorm.  In Wichita these storms resulted in total snowfall of 21.5" in February which broke all previous monthly records, but the real action was in an area to the southwest of Hutchinson where snow accumulations reached 40", forcing extended road closures and National Guard deployments.  This part of the state has no RWIS coverage whatsoever.

[WichitaRoads]

can you start a separate thread for Kansas DOT boring contract advertisements?  I'd really like to know about a single pothole in Salina, or two new NO PARKING signs in Hays.

I personally don't find ITS contracts interesting in and of themselves, either.  But I mentioned this one for two reasons:  (1) we have (at last count) three regulars from Wichita, and (2) it raises the question of anisotropy of RWIS camera coverage.

In rural (statewide) Kansas, KDOT's RWIS coverage is concentrated in the I-70 corridor.  For years there were just two cameras in southern Kansas--one in Garden City and one in Chanute.  Now new cameras have been added in Garden City, Liberal, McPherson, and Pittsburg, but coverage still favors I-70 heavily.  (The Turnpike has RWIS cameras but most of them are useless since nearly all of them, with the sole exception of the camera at MP 103 in the Flint Hills, show just the approaches to toll plazas.)  In Wichita, nearly all the RWIS coverage is on six-lane freeways--not four-lane freeways like I-235 and K-96.

Ten days ago we had a major blizzard in Kansas, followed several days later by a smaller snowstorm.  In Wichita these storms resulted in total snowfall of 21.5" in February which broke all previous monthly records, but the real action was in an area to the southwest of Hutchinson where snow accumulations reached 40", forcing extended road closures and National Guard deployments.  This part of the state has no RWIS coverage whatsoever.

JNW,

I agree with you here. I spent a lot of time during my snow days looking at those cams. I would like to see more, at the risk of Big Brother or "Eye in the Sky".

ICTRds

[route56]

April lettings are now up....

24-44 KA-2607-01  It looks like Jefferson County will get its first permanent traffic light at the intersection of US 24 and Cedar Street/Ferguson Road in Perry. (I am very familiar with this intersection, Ferguson Road is the main road for the east side of Perry Lake)

24-89 K-7434-01: Replacing the bridge over the Union Pacific Mainline on the west side of Topeka, and while we're at it, add an interchange with Menoken Road.

24-89 KA-0461-01: The replacement of the bridge over Topeka Blvd on US 24. (and yes, they did correct the sign error that was on the plan sheets that were at the public meeting)

[route56]

Winning bidders on the March lettings have been publicly announced.

I found this winning bid to be interesting:

Pottawatomie — 75 C‑0354‑01 — Bridge replacement 2.0 miles south and 3.0 miles east of Fostoria, grading, bridge and surfacing, 0.2 mile, King Construction Company Inc. and Subsidiaries, Hesston, $407,996.94.

I'm sure the current Transportation secretary had nothing to do with this bid

[J N Winkler]

Couple of nice surprises in the advertisement just uploaded today (for a letting on May 22, 2013):

*  70-105 KA-1003-05--First part of the I-70 Bonner Springs revamp (this contract, which will be followed by two larger ones, shifts the ramps to and from K-7).

*  106 KA-1893-01--Major I-70 guide sign replacement (almost 200 sheets) covering the interchanges at Exits 206 (K-232 Wilson/Lucas), 209 (6th Road), 216 (12th Road), 238 (Brookville Road), 244 (Hedville Road), 295-296 (US 77/K-18 Marysville/Herington), 303 (K-18 eastbound to Manhattan), 304 (Humboldt Creek Road), and 313 (K-177 Manhattan/Council Grove).  These are two noncontiguous clumps of exits, one west of Salina and the other between the west Junction City exit and the east Manhattan exit.  One of the Exit 313 signs optimistically describes Manhattan as "Future Home of" (8" letters) "National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility" (13.3" letters).

[route56]

Not much for sign geeks, but for the June letting:

106 KA-2396-01: Extension of the KC SCOUT ITS up I-435 on the west side from 87th north to Wolcott Drive (basically, giving all of 435 in Kansas SCOUT coverage)

106 KA-1501-01: Fiber Optic expansion along K-61 between Hutchinson and McPherson (presumably in anticipation of future ITS installation)

There are also several bridge replacment lettings out, including one on Old US 59 near the Douglas-Franklin County Line, one on K-268 in Osage County, and two on US 24 in Sherman County.

[route56]

Nothing interesting on the July letting. This thread shall be buried for another 30 days. (The August Letting should be out in time for the Wichita meet)

[route56]

In an interesting move (although, given the nature of the beast, probably shouldn't be surprising), KDOT has posted the current preliminary plans for the South Lawrence Trafficway (along with a fact sheet summarizing what all will be happening with this project) on the "Letting Information" Page.

http://www.ksdot.org/burconsmain/lettinginfo.asp

The August lettings are also up....

[route56]

September Lettings are out.... and the big one is finally here.

10-23 K-8392-04... the eastern leg of the South Lawrence Trafficway... is on the letting list.

KDOT is also tying in 23 U 2117-01 ... 31st Street between Haskell and O'Connell Road (new arterial, with a roundabout at 31st and O'Connell)

Speaking of roundabouts, there's also 75-70 KA-0047-01 ... roundabout at the junction of US 75 and K-268 north of Lyndon in Osage County.

75-7 KA-0747-02 and 75-66 KA-0748-02 ... Seeding for the recently-completed resurfacing of US 75 in Nemaha and Brown Counties.

And one more SLT-related project ... 40-023 KA 2174-01 ... Installation of traffic signals at intersection of 6th Street with the trafficway.

[Ned Weasel]

And one more SLT-related project ... 40-023 KA 2174-01 ... Installation of traffic signals at inersection of 6th Street with the trafficway.

I was wondering when that was going to be signalized.  Should I assume we'll see more flashing yellow arrows there?

[route56]

And one more SLT-related project ... 40-023 KA 2174-01 ... Installation of traffic signals at inersection of 6th Street with the trafficway.

I was wondering when that was going to be signalized.  Should I assume we'll see more flashing yellow arrows there?

Right now, they're showing doghouse signals (also, the spec call for the signals to be wire-hung)

[Revive 755]

And one more SLT-related project ... 40-023 KA 2174-01 ... Installation of traffic signals at inersection of 6th Street with the trafficway.

Very nice of KDOT to have peak hour turning movement volumes on the cover sheet.

[apeman33]

Speaking of roundabouts, there's also 75-70 KA-0047-01 ... roundabout at the junction of US 75 and K-268 north of Lyndon in Osage County.

Aw, come on. Why?

[route56]

Aw, come on. Why?

Because Kansas.

[apeman33]

Aw, come on. Why?

Because Kansas.

(sighs.)