Kansas turnpike construction

A week after work began on improvements to the West Lawrence interchange on the Kansas Turnpike, there has been one main problem: Confused motorists.

Despite the months of publicity and placement of signs, many motorists did not know all westbound access to Interstate 70 had closed at the west Lawrence interchange at least not until they drove up and found out the hard way, Kansas Turnpike Authority officials said.

“We had signs posted prior to the job, but, as is always the case, either people didn’t see the signs or if they did they didn’t read them,” KTA director Mike Johnston said during a public meeting Tuesday at the Lawrence Visitor Center, 402 N. Second St.

Additional signs have now been placed farther south on Iowa Street to alert motorists, Johnston said.

During the past week, workers have removed the deck pavement and from the interchange bridge that crosses over the turnpike. On Wednesday, metal beams will be removed, said Rex Fleming, KTA design and construction engineer. The interchange improvement project is expected to take six months. It is part of a $130 million project that will see additional improvements made to the turnpike at Lawrence, including the demolition and replacement of two Kansas River bridges.

“We’re really just kind of at the front end of the job,” Johnston said.

Workers are ready to start building the first of the new Kansas River bridges, eventually will carry westbound traffic. It will be built just north of the existing bridges. Muddy ground has delayed the building of a couple of access roads to be used by construction vehicles, Fleming said.

Once the bridge is completed in late 2009 all traffic in both directions will be moved to the bridge while the old ones are demolished and a new eastbound bridge is built.

Explosive charges will be used to “drop” the two old bridges when the time comes, Fleming said. He was unsure if both will be done at the same time. The remains will be cleaned up.

“We really can’t dismantle them a piece at a time,” Fleming said.

In May 2010 the east Lawrence interchange will be completely closed to traffic in both directions and rebuilt. The job should take eight months.

The entire Lawrence turnpike improvement project is to be completed by 2012. Contractors will be fined if their work runs beyond the completion deadlines for the various parts of the project. The primary contractor is Hamm Inc. of Perry.

In Leavenworth County, work also is about to begin 8 miles east of Lawrence where the new Tonganoxie interchange will be built. The contractor – also Hamm – will likely get the notice to proceed next week, Fleming said. It might take a few days for equipment to be moved to the site, he said.

The new interchange will connect to Leavenworth County Road 1, also known as 222nd Street. It is to be completed in 2009.