Lecompton area residents to have chance to voice concerns about closing Farmer’s Turnpike access from K-10

A tractor passes through the intersection of Douglas County Route 438, commonly known as the Farmer’s Turnpike, and East 800 Road, near Heritage Baptist Church, Monday, Feb. 15, 2016. The Kansas Department of Transportation has announced its preference for a new K-10/I-70 interchange that would abandon the current short link north of the freeway connecting to the Farmer’s Turnpike. Area residents have raised numerous objections to the proposal, starting with the need to pay a toll for regular commutes to Lawrence.

Having convinced the Kansas Department of Transportation to schedule a public meeting on future options for a Kansas Highway 10/Interstate 70 interchange, Scott Hanks is now hoping for a large turnout.

“Nobody I’ve talked to wants Farmers’ Turnpike closed off from K-10,” he said. “I’m hoping for a big turnout to show that is not what the area wants.”

The threat to future access to Douglas County Route 438, commonly known as the Farmer’s Turnpike, is from KDOT’s announced preference for a future K-10/I-70 interchange that is to be part of the South Lawrence Trafficway’s west leg improvements. Should that option be constructed, the interchange would be the northern terminus of K-10, and the current short link north of the freeway connecting to the Farmer’s Turnpike would be abandoned.

Alarmed by what that would mean to the Heritage Baptist Church he pastors at 1781 E. 800 Road, as well as residents and businesses of northwest Douglas County and southwest Jefferson County, Hanks succeeded in getting KDOT to schedule an informational meeting on the northern section of the SLT’s west leg. The meeting will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. March 3 at the Heritage Baptist Church.

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KDOT spokesperson Kimberly Qualls said the meeting would focus on the north end of the proposed K-10 improvements, but it would be structured the same and include materials identical to those shared with the public at an October meeting on the SLT west end upgrades at Southwest Middle School in Lawrence.

KDOT officials and consultants would also be at the March 3 meeting to “answer questions and listen to concerns,” Qualls said.

At the October meeting, KDOT officials shared plans to add two lanes to K-10 west of U.S. Highway 59 to I-70. The lanes would help that section of K-10 handle increased traffic volume expected with the completion this year of the SLT’s east leg. KDOT has also made clear there is no money now available for west leg construction and work would not start until at least 2020.

Qualls said the study phase of the SLT’s west leg improvements is wrapping up and the design phase will start this spring or summer.

But Hanks said many area residents, including him, did not know of the October meeting and were unaware of the plan to close access from the new K-10/I-70 interchange to the Farmer’s Turnpike.

“They didn’t know about the plan, and when they do hear about it, they get mad,” he said.

To increase awareness of the coming meeting, he and volunteers have left door hangers with meeting information on all homes in Lecompton, Perry and elsewhere in the area, Hanks said.

The city of Lawrence and Douglas County have recommended the SLT west leg improvements maintain free access from K-10 to the Farmer’s Turnpike. Hanks said area residents have numerous objections with KDOT’s preferred option, starting with the need to pay a toll for regular commutes to Lawrence. If they wished to avoid the toll, residents would be forced to take U.S. Highway 40 or the gravel East 800 Road, Hanks said.

“That would put a lot more traffic to Highway 40, and it is already a death trap,” Hanks said. “I can tell you parents don’t want their children driving on the interstate to get back and forth to school.”

The proposed interchange would also force those living on or near Farmer’s Turnpike east of Douglas County Route 1029 to drive out-of-route miles or travel on gravel roads to get to their homes, Hanks said. Those driving to the Heritage Baptist Church would face the same choices.

“Emergency response would be prolonged,” he said. “I can guarantee property values would go down in the area.”

A KDOT flier, which will be available at the March 3 meeting, identifies as Alternative A the interchange that eliminates access to Farmer’s Turnpike and as Alternative B the plan that would make use of the current interchange, which would retain that access. It states Alternative A is preferred because of its lower cost, safer design from a reduction in the number of “traffic points,” less right of way required and its single toll plaza. It is also stated the interchange at Route 1029 provides direct access to Lecompton.

“It’s going to take a miracle to get them to go with Plan B instead of Plan A,” Hanks said. “That’s why we need as many people as possible to turnout.”