Emery Sapp & Sons, Inc., Kansas City, Mo., was the apparent low bidder on a $17 million project to reconstruct pavement along U.S. 169 in southern Allen County, the Kansas Department of Transportation announced Tuesday.
The project involves replacing the concrete driving pavement along the highway and interchange ramps from Minnesota Road just south of Iola to Delaware Road south of Humboldt.
Work is expected to begin this spring and run until late 2019.
The project will be split into two portions, north and south of Hawaii Road, to give motorists easier access to Humboldt.
This seven-mile stretch of U.S. 169 in Allen County was built with concrete in the early 1980s, according to a KDOT news release.
Heavy traffic use and varied weather conditions have resulted in numerous driving surface imperfections.
In previous years these flaws were smoothed out by a process known as diamond grinding, which helped preserve the pavement while limiting disruptions to traffic.
However, the entire stretch has deteriorated to the point full pavement replacement is necessary.
“It doesn’t seem like it but, that pavement is approaching 40 years old,” Jim Metcalfe, KDOT Southeast District Construction Engineer, said. “Maintaining it to an acceptable standard has become increasingly difficult in recent years, and it will be a relief to our maintenance personnel to have this pavement replaced.”
During construction traffic will be placed on a signed detour along U.S. 54, U.S. 75 and K-39, although local users will likely follow counties roads or Old 169 Highway to the west.
169 rebuild contractor selected
