The Kansas Department of Transportation recently approved a bid to install the first truly rural traffic light in Douglas County.

KDOT in late March approved a $208,000 contract with J. Warren Company Inc. of Topeka to install a traffic signal on U.S. Highway 59 south of Lawrence. The light will be at the intersection of U.S. 59 and County Route 458, which is about 1 mile south of the new South Lawrence Trafficway.

The traffic signal is in response to design changes the state made to the South Lawrence Trafficway — also known as Kansas Highway 10 — where it intersects with East 1200 Road. Those changes included prohibiting left turns at the intersection. Those changes were expected to increase traffic at the U.S. 59 and County Route 458 intersection, but KDOT officials said a traffic signal would keep the intersection functioning smoothly.

Kimberly Qualls, KDOT spokeswoman, said the date of the traffic signal’s installation would be established next week during a pre-construction meeting with the contractor.

Douglas County Public Works Director Keith Browning said that was the same information he received when he inquired about the light after learning of the bid approval. The work would be limited to the installation of a traffic signal and the placement of signage and pavement markings, he said. It would not include any lane modifications or other “geometric” changes to U.S. 59 or Route 458, he said.

No design for the traffic signal has yet been shared with the county, but the signal would be controlled by some kind of traffic detection system, which would cause the light to turn red when there are cars waiting on Route 458, Browning said.

The county has no shared responsibility in installing or maintaining the traffic signal, Browning said.

Lawrence City Engineer Dave Cronin said the new signal will be rolled into KDOT’s current agreement with the city of Lawrence to maintain traffic signals on state and federal highways in the city. Under the agreement, the city and KDOT establish an annual reimbursement cost per signal for periodic and emergency inspections and maintenance of the signals, he said.