ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times
A highway construction project in Southwest Kansas has been delayed.
Resurfacing work was scheduled to start Aug. 12 along U.S. Highway 83 from the intersection of that highway with U.S. Highway 50 and U.S. Highway 400 north to the south city limits of Scott City.
However, Kansas Department of Transportation Southwest Public Information Officer Yazmin Moreno issued a statement Tuesday that the project had been delayed, as officials with the contractor, Venture Corporation of Great Bend, had changed the project’s schedule.
“Instead of doing the U.S.-83 resurfacing project in Finney and Scott County, they switched their schedule to the K-96 resurfacing projects that are currently under way from the city limits of Leoti to the Wichita County line and Ness County from Ness City to the Lane/Ness County line on K-96,” she said Tuesday morning. “They switched those that project out for those. They’re currently doing those, and once they’re done with those, we expect them to go back to start that project. That’s still up to the contractor.”
Once the project is started, Hwy. 83 will be reduced to one lane in sections as crews work to resurface the 31.5 mile project area.
“Motorists should expect delays of up to 15 minutes as flaggers and a pilot car direct one-lane traffic through the work zone,” Moreno said in a press release earlier this month. The lane reduction will be marked by signs and cones. U.S.-83 will be open to normal traffic when construction is not taking place.”
The cost of the project is $5.5 million. Moreno said an update will be provided when a rescheduling date is known. For more information call Area Construction Engineer Craig Schlott at 620-765-7096 or Moreno at 620-765-7080.
