The way it appears now, the ongoing project to widen US Highway 50 just west of Emporia should finish out before the year is done.
Work should be done by December. It’s a bit delayed from the original timeline, but Kansas Department of Transportation engineering specialist Dustin Hardin says the project is nearing an end.
Hardin says periodic heavy rainfall, along with other projects running simultaneously for the contractor, have delayed the work west of Emporia.
This is the fourth and final phase of construction as KDOT is widening the highway from two lanes to four between Roads F and E-5. The widening project was originally slated to take place back in 2011 as part of the 10-year, $8 billion TWORKS program under Sam Brownback’s administration. TWORKS has since been replaced by the Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program (IKE) formerly known as FORWARD.
Meanwhile, KDOT continues work on replacing a bridge on Kansas Highway 170 just east of the Lyon-Osage county line. Hardin says that project is moving along well, with crews working on footings and abutments. The project is actually a month ahead of schedule now, and barring weather or other delays it could be wrapped up in April.
