Nearly 10 years ago, the Kansas Turnpike tollgate at Emporia was modernized. Nearly 15 years ago, it was completely redesigned. Now another major renovation is coming by the end of 2025.
Throughout the process leading up to cashless tolling next summer, the Kansas Turnpike Authority has said numerous interchanges would be redesigned. On Tuesday, the Turnpike Authority announced an approved contract for demolition and lane configuration work at many of its toll plazas, including Emporia at mile marker 127 and Cassoday at mile marker 92. Dondlinger and Sons won the contract with a nearly $4.4 million bid.
Other toll plazas to see this work as part of this contract include East Wichita, El Dorado and North El Dorado. Toll plazas at Lecompton, Lawrence, Tonganoxie-Eudora and the Eastern Terminal will see similar work as part of a separate contract.
Construction details, including tentative plans for new lane configurations, will be made available near when the projects start. The KTA expects all work will be done by late November 2025.
The KTA has been working for over two years towards cashless tolling, which it says will make the highway safer and more convenient for travelers. The project reached a milestone last month when the last gantry, used to read license plates for billing purposes, was installed in northeast Lyon County.
Emporia’s tollgate was modernized in 2014, five years after work to simplify the interchange — and remove the so-called “spaghetti bowl” of junctions connecting the Turnpike, Interstate 35 and US Highway 50.
