Starting around July 9, KDOT will have a survey crew in Greensburg surveying the existing US-54 roadway and intersecting side streets. This information will support the study and evaluation of the proposed US-54 corridor. A member of the survey crew will make reasonable efforts to contact property owners and/or tenants for permission to enter private property as needed.
Background
The location and design of a future US-54 freeway affects how Greensburg plans its future after the devastating May 4 tornado. Community planners asked KDOT to reconsider the US-54 south bypass recommended in the 2002 US-54/US-400 Location Design Concept Study. They wanted KDOT to consider a new route about midway between the current highway and railroad tracks three blocks to the north. At a town hall meeting on June 7, Assistant Secretary of Transportation Jerry Younger assured the audience that KDOT is committed to helping Greensburg achieve whatever future it envisions.
To help KDOT and Greensburg determine feasible options to consider for US-54, KDOT contracted with the engineering firm HNTB. HNTB's work to this point has yielded two concepts (A & B) that reflect Greensburg's general desire to have US-54 remain within town. Both concepts followed the same alignment parallel to the current US-54, midway between Ohio and Illinois streets. Each concept had one interchange - they differed in where the interchange was located and designed. Both concepts also include an interchange with US-183 west of Greensburg.
About Concept A
Concept A uses a "split diamond" interchange for access to and from the future freeway. Eastbound traffic would exit the freeway at Bay St. and enter the freeway at Olive St. Westbound traffic would exit the freeway only at Olive St. and enter the freeway at Bay St. Approximately 3,000 feet separate the exits. The split exits would be connected by two-way roads in the vicinity of the current Ohio St. and the existing US-54 highway. All traffic that exits the freeway would have to travel one of these roads through town in order to re-enter the freeway. The highway would be located near the existing ground level. Drivers could cross over the freeway and the railroad using bridges on Bay and Olive Streets.
Roundabouts could be used to manage the five-legged intersections created when Bay and Olive Streets intersect with the existing US-54 highway and the freeway ramp on each side of town. The roundabouts would sit about five to six feet above the current ground level due to embankments needed for Bay and Olive Streets. The roundabouts would need to handle significant truck and agricultural vehicle traffic for ease of access to the grain elevator and local farm implement businesses.
Property impacts would include the acquisition of properties between the current Ohio and Illinois Streets along with any properties affected by the embankments, pavement, or drainage associated with ramps, the elevated Bay or Olive Streets, and roundabouts.
More Information
Information about the concepts is available online at www.ksdot.org, under Projects and Studies, or on the Greensburg website at www.greensburgks.org, under Recovery Planning. Persons with questions can contact Martin Miller, South Central District Public Affairs Manager in Hutchinson, at 620-663-3361 or toll-free at 1-877-550-5368.
