Highway

Budget cuts are slowing some safety upgrades to K-96. Last year, Eyewitness News told you about a plan to install cables along the four miles of highway from I-135 to Rock Road. The cables are designed to stop vehicles from going through the medians and hitting oncoming traffic. But a smaller KDOT budget has moved that project to February when the state opens up bids. Work could start next spring. --------------------- Original Story, May 20 Cables in the median may have prevented many accidents.

A Great Bend man is in fair condition after his truck strikes a guardrail, flies off a highway and lands on a railroad track in Staffordo County. The accident happened Thursday afternoon just south of St. John on U.S. Hwy 281. According to the St. John News, one train passed the accident right after it happened. A second train was stalled between St. John and Bartles while emergency crews cleared the track of debris. The truck, owned by 33-year-old Rollin Anderson, came to rest on its wheels after the 32-foot fall.

Over the last month, Highway 254 has earned itself a reputation. "It really concerns me when I see the number of accidents that are occurring," says Tracy Phillips. "Pay attention. " Attention is now what a portion of Highway 254 is getting. Three fatalities over one weekend in August prompted an investigation by KDOT of four intersections along the corridor. On Thursday, KDOT revealed its findings in a report concerning Rock, Greenwich, Webb and Ohio Street.

Four deaths in 18 miles in six months.  Those statistics about Kansas Highway 254 prompted a meeting in Benton Monday evening.      Inside the Benton Church, people stand near a microphone.  Story after story is shared, question after question asked.  And outside, car after car drive by on Highway 254.     The four lane highway has had four deaths on it this year, three in August. "People's lives are on that road," explained Pastor Rob Schmutz.  That is why he and his church organized the Monday evening meeting.

A string of accidents along K-254 in Sedgwick county have officers, road officials, and everyday drivers repeating the same thing - 'Pay Attention'.      Stop signs dot the intersection of Kansas Highway 254 and various roads in northern Sedgwick County.       Sometimes, drivers do stop.  And sometimes they don't.      We staked out intersections along Highway 254 Tuesday morning. Even in the rain, people illegally rolled right through the stop sign.      The Kansas Highway Patrol says drivers who didn't yield caused all three accidents this week - two of the accidents were fatal.

Three accidents - and three deaths -  in three days.  All within a mile of each other.      The most recent happened just before five o'clock Monday afternoon, at the intersection of Webb Road and K-254 north of Wichita.      It sent a motorcyclist to the hospital. He and an SUV tried to avoid each other, though right now it's not clear who pulled out in front of who.      "Typically the ones that we see are horrendous ones - not any kind of fender benders," said Ron Jones, who commutes the stretch between El Dorado and Wichita daily.

A semi driver killed when his truck slammed into a train in Harvey County has been identified as 80-year-old Herbert Entz.  The crash happened around 1:30 Tuesday near Highway 196 and Osage. The Kansas Highway Patrol says Entz was carrying a double-trailer when the accident happened. He was headed east on Highway 196 and was struck by the front end fo the train. Eyewitnesses waiting on the opposite side of the tracks as the semi came through say the railroad crossing lights were flashing and the crossbars were down.

A highway in western Kansas is now designated as an historic byway, the first highway to receive this designation in Kansas. The byway is the Western Vistas Historic Byway in Logan, Scott and Wallace counties. The 102 mile route begins at Scott City on U.S. 83 and ends on U.S. 40 at Sharon Springs. According to the Kansas Department of Transportation, to be designated as historic, a byway "must have resources that are significant historically, be numerous, be visible and have a setting or character that is complementary to the resources".

A road improvement project on U.S. 54/400 (West Kellogg) may affect travelers accessing Mid-Continent Airport during overnight hours over the next few weeks. An asphalt mill and overlay project on the Kellogg Freeway will occur from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Sunday through Thursday nights. At times, access ramps at Kellogg and Ridge Road will be closed for work at the base of those ramps. Map - Location of Ramps The first ramp to the airport affected by this project will be the eastbound Kellogg exit ramp at Ridge Road/Mid-Continent Drive.

Four people are dead after a crash in Ford County. The crash happened at 5:50 Tuesday afternoon at Highway 50 and Howell Road. Location of Crash The Kansas Highway Patrol says a truck was going southbound on Howell when it failed to stop at the stop sign, and struck a SUV. 37 year-old Clemente Guerra from Dodge City was driving the SUV and died. Passengers in the SUV Genero Navidad, 42 year-old Hector Rosales, and 32 year-old Pedro Barron-Raymundo also died.