Dry conditions hasn’t helped area drought in the slightest over the past month, but they have helped a lot of road construction projects move forward.
A case in point is the Kansas Turnpike Authority’s demolition of different tollbooths as cashless tolling continues to take effect. Engineer Glen Scott says things are coming along well after the canopy was removed at the Emporia tollgate late last month.
Scott anticipates concrete removal and repaving, along with pavement striping, will be done by Thanksgiving if not sooner.
Meanwhile, tollbooth removal work is done at the Admire and Cassoday exits.
Scott says speed limits at the Emporia gate will increase from 20 mph during demolition to 45 mph at the end of the project.
This round of work connected to cashless tolling should be officially completed by late 2025. Drivers began noticing the change in billing procedures back in July as gantries began reading KTAG transponders and license plates.
In separate but related traffic news, Scott doesn’t expect any adjustments once the Flint Hills Crossing convenience store project is built over the next nine months. The project bringing Quik Trip to Emporia will feature a roundabout on the north side of Interstate 35 and the Turnpike, connecting to a roundabout immediately south of those highways and another one further south linking those highways to US Highway 50.
