The Sixth and Prairie intersection that some of us have navigated for decades will look quite a bit different once a “geometric improvement” process ends in about six months.
Work is tentatively set to begin next week, and City Engineer Jim Ubert says the above-ground work includes the BP service station at the northwest corner closing one of its driveways.
The southwest corner will also see a lot of work.
The northeast corner, which Ubert called “very problematic,” will see “significant” improvements, while all the traffic signals will get moved back. The signals will also be radar-driven, which offers better traffic flow in cases of poor visibility. These will be Emporia’s first radar-based traffic lights, and this will also be the first local intersection where left turns will be signaled by a flashing yellow arrow instead of the traditional green ball. Ubert says this follows federal trends and is a “safer signalization” for drivers.
This will lead to numerous traffic adjustments. One of the first projects involves tearing out and rebuilding the center median immediately south of the intersection to accommodate for the early work outside Tyson. Other adjustments:
*Prairie and Sixth will both see one-lane traffic at times
*Utility work, notably water and storm sewer, will take place on Sixth along the north curb line
*Curb and gutter, including handicapped-accessible ramps and sidewalks, and driveway reconstruction is planned
The Kansas Department of Transportation is funding 90 percent of the project. Ubert says tentative plans had been set over 10 years ago, but discussions began as Mr. G’s Express owner Danny Giefer started planning to develop the intersection’s northeast corner.
