County to keep bargaining on U.S. 59 plans

Douglas County commissioners were pleased Wednesday night that the Kansas Department of Transportation agreed to incorporate four of the county’s six recommendations in its plan for U.S. 59 Highway.

But they want more.

Commissioners unanimously authorized county Public Works Director Keith Browning and Commissioner Bob Johnson to send a letter to KDOT officials informing them of the county’s position and to continue negotiating with the state department.

KDOT will turn U.S. 59 into a four-lane freeway between Lawrence and Ottawa. The project is estimated to cost $210 million and will begin in April 2007 when KDOT starts bidding out phases of the plan.

KDOT officials informed the county that they thought all six projects the county wanted were warranted, but they agreed to incorporate just four of them into the state plan.

Commissioners said Wednesday that the county should handle one of the two projects rejected by the state. That project involves improving East 1300 Road between North 100 and North 150 roads. But commissioners said KDOT should bear full responsibility for the other rejected project — adding a second access to Berg Acres, a residential subdivision southeast of the existing U.S. 59 and North 1100 Road.

“This would be no benefit to us and it’s something we wouldn’t have done,” Commissioner Bob Johnson said of the additional Berg Acres access point. He said the need comes as a result of the U.S. 59 plan.

The four projects KDOT did adopt based on the recommendation of the Douglas County commissioners include:

  • Eliminating a previously planned grade separation, which is like an overpass or underpass without a ramp, at North 200 Road.
  • Making the proposed frontage road east of U.S. 59 between U.S. Highway 56 and North 200 Road continuous.
  • Constructing a grade separation at North 550 Road.
  • Extending the frontage road on the east side of new U.S. 59 between North 500 and North 550 roads.