Welcome to the Transportation Works for Kansas (T-WORKS) website. T-WORKS is a 10-year, $8 billion transportation program designed to create jobs, preserve highway infrastructure, and provide multimodal economic development opportunities across the state. The Kansas Department of Transportation is responsible for the delivery of T-WORKS. However, one of the important changes under T-WORKS is that Kansans have more input in the decision-making process than ever before. Thus, the success of this program will largely depend on how well we can all work together. And in the spirit of working together, we’ve launched this site as way to provide you the most up-to-date information on T-WORKS.

January 23rd, 2012

Check out our tutorial on the operation of this website! The video explains the most efficient way to access the wealth of information available here, including how to track all spending associated with the program.

 

 

 

 

January 27th, 2012

The Kansas Department of Transportation will accelerate $50 million worth of preservation projects to produce jobs ahead of schedule and to take advantage of low construction costs currently available.

The 32 projects that will be advanced are included in the 10-year, $8 billion T-WORKS transportation program passed by the 2010 Legislature. They are part of the $4.2 billion set aside under T-WORKS for preservation, which includes work such as the repair and reconstruction of roads and bridges.

Click here for a list of the accelerated Preservation Projects announced by Governor Brownback on January 27, 2011.

December 15th, 2011

A new website using up-to-the-minute information will help travelers in Wichita efficiently navigate area highways.

WICHway.org will share travel speeds and camera views on select routes, messages posted on roadside signs and other helpful information for drivers.

The website is just one component of a Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) project that monitors 22 miles of Wichita's highway system. ITS is the integrated application of advanced sensor and communications technologies that provide traffic information to enable efficient travel decisions by drivers.

Phase 1 of the project covers U.S. 54/400 (Kellogg Freeway) from Ridge Road to Woodlawn, I-135 from Harry Street to the North Junction (I-135/I-235/K-96/K-254), and the I-235/K-96/Meridian Avenue interchange.

This initial phase includes 28 cameras, 21 dynamic message signs and 36 traffic sensors.

A unique part of the project is the co-location of the Traffic Management Center (TMC) at the Sedgwick County 911 Communication Center. County dispatchers operate the TMC console Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. They monitor cameras, post messages to signs, alert maintenance crews of roadway problems and interact with other 911 dispatchers serving police, fire and emergency services.

The TMC is also the aggregation point for data from the field devices and transfers information to the WICHway.org website.
Partners in the ITS project include KDOT, Sedgwick County, City of Wichita, Kansas Highway Patrol, Kansas Turnpike Authority, Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Federal Highway Administration.

November 17th, 2011

Constructing a major project and still accommodating traffic in one of the most heavily traveled sections of roadways in the state is a challenge that is being met by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT).

In October, KDOT and the project contractor, Clarkson Construction Company, made several decisions to benefit motorists on Interstate 435 along an area near Quivira Road in Johnson County where $102 million in roadway improvements are currently underway. During two weekends (9/30-10/3 and 10/14-10/17), KDOT first closed all eastbound lanes of I-435 and then all westbound lanes of I-435 to expedite construction activity.

"Closing I-435 was a short-term pain that resulted in long-term benefits for both motorists and the contractor," said KDOT Metro South Engineer Burt Morey. "Normally we would not close an interstate, but in this case it proved to be beneficial for many reasons."

The closure allowed for the quick construction of a pair of concrete box bridge culverts under I-435 to carry storm water. One was constructed just east of Quivira Road and other just west of Quivira Road. To view photos of work on the culvert construction visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kansastransportation/sets/72157627992632204/ .

"Instead of carrying traffic through a highly constricted construction zone for up to 45 days we were able to expedite the project by working around-the-clock for two weekends. This greatly reduced long-term traffic congestion resulting from construction and more importantly improved safety for motorists and workers."

The section of I-435 closed was located between US-69 and I-35 in Overland Park. I-435 carries an average of 122,500 vehicles per day through this area. KDOT also benefited motorists by changing the original date for the westbound closure. The highway was scheduled to be closed October 7-10, but KDOT postponed the work to the following weekend to accommodate fans traveling to the NASCAR races at the Kansas Speedway.

Improvements being made at US-69 & I-435 are part of KDOT's T-WORKS program. Project work includes construction of southbound collector-distributor road network along US-69 between 103rd Street and 119th Street, widening work on eastbound and westbound I-435 and construction of collector-distributor road network along I-435 between I-35 and US-69.

Interchange improvements will be completed at I-435 & Quivira Road, I-435 & US-69, US-69 & College Boulevard and US-69 & 119th Street.

November 17th, 2011

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) has started work to re-pave two sections of US-36 Highway in Norton County.

The scope of the project includes rehabilitation on two separate stretches of US-36. The first section begins at West Street in Norton, and extends to the east city limits. The second stretch starts at the east US-36/K-383 Junction and ends at the Phillips County line. The two projects total 9.1 miles.

“The project in the city of Norton consists of a three-inch mill and inlay performed in two lifts,”explains KDOT Construction Engineer Jim Riener - of the Phillipsburg office. “The other section beginning at the junction begins with a ½-inch profile mill, followed by a two-inch overlay.”

Flaggers and a pilot car operation will guide one-lane traffic through both work zones during daylight hours. Delays of 15 minutes or less will be expected throughout the construction time frame.

Please use caution, pay attention to the work zone signs, and respect workers when driving through a road work zone. Slow down and "Give 'Em A Break".

KDOT awarded the construction contract - totaling $1,336,000 - to APAC Kansas, Inc. Shears Division of Hays. Subcontractors on the job include: Dustrol Inc, of Towanda, milling; Roadsafe Traffic Systems, of El Dorado, pavement markings; and Garcia-Chicoine, of Milford, Neb., rumble strips.

The pavement repair project is funded by T-WORKS, the transportation program passed by the Kansas Legislature in May, of 2010.

Weather permitting, the construction work will take approximately a month to complete.

For questions concerning this project, please contact Jim Riener at (785) 543-2163 or jriener@ksdot.org in Phillipsburg; or Kristen Brands, Northwest Kansas Public Affairs Manager, at (785) 877-3315 or kristenb@ksdot.org in Norton.

October 11th, 2011

Recently, Deputy Secretary Jerry Younger and I held a news conference to announce all preservation projects scheduled for fiscal years 2012-2013. While the announcement of these projects was certainly not a surprise (they could already be viewed here, on our T-WORKS website), the purpose of the event was to make sure that communities and contractors, along with all of our other stakeholders, know what work is coming up in the next two years. To view the list, click here.

It’s my goal to make this an annual event for us. Each year we will reveal the next two years worth of preservation projects. Thus, next year we will announce fiscal years 2013-2014. And hopefully, we will announce it at the same time each year preferably in July when the new fiscal year begins.

The recent news conference is just one example of putting our watchwords into action. By releasing the list of projects we are being transparent with you, our stakeholders, our performance measures website is a means to hold us accountable, and by providing this information in a timely manner we will improve collaboration with our partners.

I’m very pleased to make this announcement—there was a time when I didn’t think we’d get to announce much (if any) preservation work. This is good news for our state and I want to thank all of you who’ve had a role in making it happen.

Secretary Deb Miller