The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) announced today the dates and locations for public
information open houses on the K-61 enhancement project in Reno and McPherson counties. Meetings
scheduled are: December 4, Memorial Hall, 101 S. Walnut, Hutchinson
December 5, Best Western
Holiday Manor, 2211 E. Kansas Avenue, McPherson
The public is invited to attend at its convenience at either location from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. A brief
introductory presentation will be offered to those attending otherwise the meeting is an informal open
house. For more than a year, KDOT and its design consultants, Wilson and Co., Salina HNTB
Corporation, Overland Park and PEC, Wichita, have conducted a corridor location design concept study
to examine the feasible locations for a four-lane highway from Hutchinson to McPherson. A Community
Advisory Group (CAG) comprised of citizen leaders of Hutchinson, Inman, and McPherson and Reno and
McPherson counties has advised the project team as initial concepts have been developed. The project
team also utilized data from past studies and new information from community interviews, telephone
surveys, traffic counts, and origin/destination studies. An objective of this initial phase of the
study is to identify a preferred corridor. The corridor that will be displayed at the open houses is
approximately 1,000 feet-wide and is located near existing K-61. A four-lane roadway will be built
within the corridor. "Our project team initially looked at a six mile-wide area in which a
four-lane highway could be located," explained Bob Hirt, KDOT road design leader. "With some
excellent input from our CAG members, we were able to refine the criteria to the preferred corridor
we will show the public in December. This 1,000 feet-wide corridor provides KDOT with the flexibility
to locate the highway while minimizing the affects to property owners.
"There are several things we hope will come out of this series of meetings," added Hirt. "We are
interested in receiving public reaction to our preferred corridor location and other design concepts
that we have studied. We look forward to the opportunity to explain to the public that the actual
roadway location has not been determined, just the broad corridor, and we appreciate knowing any
constraints that they know about. Public input will help the study team refine the concept during the
coming design phase, so we appreciate comments and questions." Representatives of KDOT's Bureau
of Right-of-Way will be available to answer questions about the property appraisal and purchase
process. The K-61 corridor project was one of 29 statewide highway improvement projects selected
for System Enhancement Program (SEP) funds. The System Enhancement Program, a component of the state's
Comprehensive Transportation Program, enables local governments to join KDOT in funding projects that
substantially improve safety, relieve congestion, improve access, or enhance economic development.
Additional information about the K-61 enhancement project may be found on the project web site at:
www.k61enhancement.org. Comments or questions may be sent to: Joseph Blubaugh, Bureau of Public Involvement,
915 SW Harrison St., Topeka, KS, 66612, or by telephoning, toll-free, 888-276-8787.
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