There was good news coming out of last week’s Kansas Department of Transportation regional meeting in Hutchinson.
The K-96 improvement project was one of the most supported projects under discussion.
Regional city, county and business leaders gathered Thursday to discuss the next round of state highway programs, including the proposed project between Hutchinson and Sterling as part of the continued effort to improve transportation in this part of the state.
County Administrator Richard Boeckman, speaking at Monday’s Barton County Commission meeting, said that project, which could account for about $45 million of the $300 to $600 million the state will invest in the 10-year funding, was included in the top three projects in all of the break-out study sessions held at the regional meeting.
That is impressive, he added, because Barton County and Wichita are in the same region, and there are a number of Wichita area projects proposed.
Other projects being considered include improvements to part of U.S. 54, to U.S. 50 and to I-235 around Wichita.
Also there are suggestions for bypasses and even the earlier suggestion of a four-lane improvement between Ellinwood and Great Bend.
“It’s an extensive list of projects,” Boeckman said about this point in the process.
Boeckman noted there were 195 attendees at this meeting and many of them were from Great Bend and Barton County.