The days of head-to-head traffic through an Interstate 35 construction zone are done, at least for now.
There is a “winter pause” on construction for the bridge over Lincoln Street. The pause also includes a reset of the existing traffic flow as opposed to the shoo-fly, head-to-head traffic seen for much of the year. City Engineer Jim Ubert says construction will resume in early 2025.
Traffic in northwest Emporia has seen several adjustments, in part due to the I-35 project and in part due to the ongoing work on the 24th and Prairie waterline project set to end by fall 2025.
The pause on I-35 work cones as early construction is now likely to start next month for a new roundabout connecting I-35 travelers to the Kansas Turnpike, US Highway 50 and the yet-to-be constructed Flint Hills Crossing development featuring Quik Trip as the current main attraction. The roundabout will go north of the existing roundabout connecting I-35 and the Turnpike, while a new road will be built from there to Graphic Arts just southwest of the Flint Hills Technical College main campus.
