US-69 Corridor in Crawford and Cherokee Counties



PROJECT DETAILS

Scheduled for Fiscal Year
2007

Location
U-69, Project covers multiple counties, Headquarters
From near K-103, to north of Arma. KDOT has changed its preferred corridor location to the western corridor endorsed by five local governments in separate resolutions passed in 2001.

Work Type
Preliminary Engineering

Scope of Work
Identify a preferred corridor, prepare environmental documentation, and begin preliminary design for a new US-69.

Project Description
The study of the US-69 corridor began in 1998 and was suspended in April 2001 due to a lack of funding. Three corridor alternatives were identified. In March 2001, KDOT announced the middle corridor (nearest the existing US-69) was its preferred alternative. Just before the study was suspended in 2001, Crawford County and the cities of Pittsburg, Arma, Girard, and Frontenac passed resolutions endorsing a western alignment. In August 2005 Congress passed a transportation bill that included a $3.2 million earmark to: identify an alignment, obtain environmental clearances, design a bypass, and buy right-of-way. THE EARMARK WON'T BE SUFFICIENT TO DO ALL THOSE ACTIVITIES. THERE PROBABLY WON'T BE ENOUGH FUNDS TO BUY RIGHT-OF-WAY. KDOT has resumed the study and, after hearing from local officials that they stand by the 2001 resolutions, has agreed to change its preferred alternative to the western alignment.

Project Categories
Category: Major Modification
Subcategory: Non-Interstate Roadway Improvements