It’s not often that there’s a grand opening for a road, but that is what happened Monday on one of the curves on Boyd Road in norther Barton County.
For years, the two hair-pin turns were euphemistically referred to as “curves,” but now that federal, state and local efforts have made improvements, the road is much safer, local officials note.
State and county officials gathered at one of the new curves late Monday morning to commemorate the official reopening of the project.
Barton County Road and Bridge Director Dale Phillips told the Barton County Commission Monday morning that this was a major accomplishment for the county to get the help as part of the High Risk Rural Road Kansas Department of Transportation project.
It will make a major improvement to business and agriculture transportation through the county.
The reopening of the Boyd Road is also important when seen in connection with other such projects the county has supported, Commissioner Kenny Schremmer commented. Improvements to the railroad crossing on the Boyd Road and at Claflin have been important accomplishments, Schremmer noted, adding that work still needs to be done with the crossing at Olmitz, for the same safety reasons.
Commission Chairman Kirby Krier noted the improvements to the railroad crossing on Airport Road, west of Great Bend, was also an important accomplishment. All of them helped to make transportation safer on county blacktops.
Late Monday morning, the county commissioners, Phillips, County Administrator Richard Boeckman, County Engineer Clark Rusco, other county officials and KDOT representatives met on Boyd Road for the opening ceremony.