ShawneeDispatch.com

The Kansas Department of Transportation has pledged $250,000 to make improvements at two of Shawnee’s Kansas Highway 7 intersections.

The money will cover construction costs for intersection improvements at 75th Street and traffic signal upgrades at 43rd Street, KDOT announced Thursday.

The improvements are relatively small in scope and cost but should have a positive impact, Shawnee city manager Carol Gonzales said.

“We are thrilled,” she said. “Both of these projects will enhance the safety and economic viability of the K-7 Corridor in Shawnee.”

The 75th Street project will focus on replacing all the plastic lane markers at the intersection with a median design that will be safer and more aesthetically pleasing for the traveling public, Gonzales said.

The other project will install new traffic signal arms at K-7 and 43rd Street to provide for protected left turns off of the highway.

Gonzales said the city would work with KDOT on further details of the projects, hoped to be complete by the end of 2013.

The two Shawnee projects were among 13 chosen for funding through KDOT’s Corridor Management Program, which develops plans for and helps fund projects along state highways experiencing growth and development. The goal is to create corridors that are safe, efficient and supportive of the long-term economy.

KDOT partners with cities to make plans, then cities can apply for funding to help pay for the projects they want to make happen, KDOT corridor management engineer Jessica Upchurch said.

Several jurisdictions, including Shawnee and Johnson County, are partners in the K-7 Corridor Management Plan.

KDOT awarded Shawnee $220,000 for the 75th Street project and $30,000 for the 43rd Street project, Upchurch said. She said the city of Shawnee would be responsible for design costs, estimated to be $35,000 for 75th Street and $4,000 for 43rd Street.

In addition to the K-7 plan, KDOT has completed 18 other Corridor Management Plans across the state.

Among the 13 projects KDOT announced would receive funding on Thursday are intersection improvements for U.S. Highway 56 in Gardner and Douglas County and a new frontage road along U.S. Highway 24 in Leavenworth County.

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