Douglas County commissioners are sold on proposing design changes for a new U.S. Highway 59 connecting Lawrence and Ottawa.

Now they’ll try to convince the Kansas Department of Transportation to buy into their ideas — some of which might add to the project’s estimated $210 million price tag.

“We can get what we want, if we want to pay for it,” said Charles Jones, commission chairman. “The question is, can we get what we want and have KDOT pay for it? …

“I think KDOT’s going to be reasonable, and I’m optimistic that things will work out.”

Commissioners discussed a host of options Wednesday during a public hearing that attracted more than 30 people to Building 21 at the Douglas County 4-H Fairgrounds.

State engineers listened as people living alongside the planned highway route — generally running 300 feet east of the existing U.S. 59 — advocated for extending frontage roads, paving side streets and installing new bridges in connection with the project.

Commissioners intend to spend the next week mulling the suggestions, then settle on a formal list of recommendations to be forwarded to state engineers for consideration. Commissioners plan to consolidate their intentions Sept. 1, with a formal letter to be sent to state officials soon thereafter.

“We’re posturing to negotiate with KDOT for the best deal we can get,” Commissioner Bob Johnson said. “It doesn’t mean we’ll get it, but we’ll try.”

The state is preparing to build a freeway from Lawrence to Ottawa, relegating the existing section of U.S. 59 to serve as a frontage road. The fatal crash rate on the existing U.S. 59 is 25 percent higher than on similar highways in the state, and the state expects the new freeway to cut the rate of fatal accidents by 80 percent and trim the injury-accident rate by 60 percent.

The new freeway’s four lanes and full-sized interchanges — with on ramps that allow merging traffic to get up to speed — should see to that.

6News video: County listens to residents about U.S. 59 concerns County commissioners seek design suggestions for U.S. 59 (8-18-04) State seeking input on U.S. 59 (6-22-04) 6News video: Commissioners planning freeway options (6-21-04)

“This will not be an interstate, but we’re building it to interstate standards,” said Bob Wandel, the state’s project engineer.

Preliminary designs for the new U.S. 59 include interchanges at U.S. Highway 56, County Road 460 and County Road 458, also known as Wells Overlook Road. The freeway also would have crossings, either above or below the freeway, along North 1, North 150 and North 900 roads.

A crossing at North 200 Road remains on paper, but commissioners and state officials already have tentatively agreed to erase that feature from the project. With that crossing eliminated — at a savings of about $1.4 million — commissioners hope to add a new bridge farther to the north, along either North 500 Road or North 550 Road.

Wandel said he was looking forward to receiving the commissioners’ final recommendations. He is responsible for having project drawings completed by March, so that detailed cost estimates can be compiled in time for construction beginning in 2007 and the freeway’s opening in 2009.

“I think they are asking for things that are fair,” Wandel said after the meeting.