Future improvements to Kansas Highway 10 between Lawrence and Kansas City will be the focus of a study the Kansas Department of Transportation hopes to begin this fall.

The study a follow-up to an earlier examination of all routes between Topeka and Kansas City will look at operational characteristics, safety and traffic growth along K-10 as well as plans that both Douglas and Johnson counties have for the corridor, said Chris Herrick, statewide planning engineer for KDOT.

“We’re doing the study so we can try to do some better planning along the corridor and not allow it to deteriorate like some other corridors have,” he said.

By looking at land use along the highway and forecasting traffic volumes, consultants will determine whether K-10 needs to be widened and where future interchanges might be added. Additional components, such as carpool and bike lanes, also will be considered.

KDOT officials are trying to secure a consultant to conduct the study. Douglas and Johnson county transportation officials also will be involved in the process, Herrick said.

KDOT will schedule meetings to gather public comment.

The study is strictly preliminary; no funding has been set aside for improvements to the study area, which consists of the corridor along K-10 between Interstate 435 and U.S. Highway 69 in Overland Park to Franklin Road in Lawrence.