The price tag for building the new U.S. Highway 59 freeway through Douglas County is climbing, thanks primarily to increased fuel and construction costs, a representative of the Kansas Department of Transportation said.
"We're also just getting better estimates," said Joe Blubaugh, KDOT's northeast public affairs manager.
Initially the cost for building the Douglas County portion of the four-lane highway was estimated at $101.7 million. Now that has jumped to $136.9 million, Blubaugh said.
At the same time, the estimate for building the freeway from Interstate 35 at Ottawa to the Douglas County line has dropped from $112.6 million to $98.1 million.
"As we design this and we get more and more information available to us, it gets easier and easier to get the right estimate," Blubaugh said.
The total freeway project is now estimated at $235 million, and KDOT will be watching closely what the future brings for the cost of fuel, concrete, steel and other materials, Blubaugh said.
"It (money) is very, very tight, but as of now there is still enough money to do the projects that we have planned," he said. "It (U.S. 59) is a high enough priority that I think this project should be fine, as should all projects."
The freeway's estimated completion date is 2011. Construction will begin in Franklin County, where all property appraisals for purchase of right-of-way tracts should be completed in a couple of weeks. There are 46 properties in that county sought for building the freeway and 40 percent have been acquired, Blubaugh said.
In Douglas County, there are about 100 properties identified as needed for the project but none has been purchased, he said. Appraisals might begin next month and right-of-way purchases should begin next year, he said.
Final work at junction
Workers will return today to Baldwin Junction to finish work on the new four-way stop, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation.
"They are just putting up the final, permanent striping and permanent posts," spokesman Joe Blubaugh said.
Three people have been killed in collisions this year at the junction, which is the intersection of U.S. highways 59 and 56.
Construction in Franklin County is expected to start next summer and be completed in late 2009. Then construction will begin in Douglas County.
Late last year, KDOT announced it was changing the road's design at Pleasant Grove because of the discovery of expansive and unstable shale in the ground.
"It's the kind of shale that becomes very unstable when it is exposed to weather," Blubaugh said.
That caused the freeway's route to be shifted farther to the east at Pleasant Grove than initially planned.
A study of the area delayed design work on the project and pushed back the contractor bidding process.
The new freeway will mean the end of "at-grade" intersections such as the deadly intersection at U.S. highways 59 and 56, known as Baldwin Junction. Three people have died in traffic accidents there this year.
"This is a freeway," Blubaugh said of the new U.S. 59 design. "The only way you can access it will be at an interchange."
Comments
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MWIV (anonymous) says…
Is anyone surprised?
mommaeffortx2 (anonymous) says…
if they are then that would be a surprise, has anything ever come in on budget around here?
craigers (anonymous) says…
This just in, in 2011 property taxes will go up by 6 mils to help pay for the road. Just joking, but you can imagine that headline coming next.
bjohanning (anonymous) says…
Why do we need this road?????? You follow 35 towards KC and you run into 70 and K-10, But again KDOT has difficulty in doing anything right. Again starting construction without getting all property rights on line. Where have I heard this before?
my2cents (anonymous) says…
If anyone has ever driven 59 HWY you would understand the need for the road. There is quite a bit of traffic, and will only get worse through the years.
Bjo - "Again starting construction without getting all property rights on line."
Tell me what constrution have they started? I drive that road 5-6 times a week and have yet to see any construction equipment.
estespark (anonymous) says…
I agree with 2cents - from what I've seen the projected traffic along that corridor will soon exceed the roadway's physical capacity. Not to mention the truck traffic on this roadway is increasing - a roadway built to freeway standards will be the only solution which can handle this much volume.
blessed3x (anonymous) says…
Bjohanning, your ignorance astounds me. You obviously no nothing about construction schedules and even less about the current and projected traffic volumes on this dangerous stretch of roadway. If this new freeway had been built 10 years ago (like it would have been if the enviros and wackos had stayed out of it) many people would be alive today and millions of $ would have been saved. Good show, Lawrence!!
blessed3x (anonymous) says…
sorry... "know nothing"
blessed3x (anonymous) says…
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2002/dec...
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2002/jun...
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2001/may...
KsTwister (anonymous) says…
I can see it now. Really. Nice 4 lanes all funneling into a Lawrence bottleneck. Bypass anyone?
irnmadn88 (anonymous) says…
Just wait until after this road and the new sewage treatment plant are built. The urban sprawl will continue on it's merry way filling in the triangle between Lawrence-Ottawa-Olathe with Baldwin the big beneficiary. Then the clamor for the necessity for the SW bypass to be completed will be deafening because of those wanting to commute to Topeka from Eastern Douglas County.
Then I suppose 56 HWY will be expanded to 4 lanes from Gardener to 59 HWY and possibly to 75 HWY.
By then you won't be able to tell one town from the next...instead of "Gee was that Merriam or Shawnee or Lenexa?" it will be "Was that Desoto or Eudora or Lawrence?"
MWIV (anonymous) says…
irnmadn88 - Just what do you expect? Should everyone just build on top of one another? Should people stop having families? Don't you understand that this is just part of "evloution"?
irnmadn88 (anonymous) says…
Oh, it is inevitable alright. Nor am I ultimately against it. The topography says build out and not up. Only natural obstacles seem to deter development. I think that better chioices could be made in how this development proceeds.
my2cents (anonymous) says…
Reality Check: "upgrading the existing road to four-lane with turnouts would have been far, far less expensive than building a freeway"
And this increasing the chances of getting smacked at 70mph instead of 55mph. Instead of trying to cross one lane of traffic you would have to dodge 3 lanes.
Yeah your probably right it would have been cheaper, but the first time someone got killed trying to make it across three lanes and a median, everyone one would be screaming for safety improvements --- $$$$$$.
Build it right the first time, and plan ahead and those chance are greatly deminished.
Shardwurm (anonymous) says…
The cost in dollars is going up...but the cost of lives for NOT doing it is going up as well.
Even if you accept fatalities as 'a given on any highway' I believe the commercial benefits to both Lawrence and Ottawa will be tremendous.