By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Major safety improvements will take place at an intersection north of Great Bend and should begin just after the first of the year.
The intersection of North Washington Avenue and North 30 Road, also known as JUCO Road will receive an overhead mast arm pole with flashers, flashing LED stop signs, improved rumble strips and speed displays.
Barton County Engineer Barry
McManaman said stop signs will remain for east and west traffic only on 30
Road, but the north and southbound traffic will receive more of a warning that
the intersection is approaching.
"The pole will be in the northeast corner of the intersection," said McManaman. "It will have an arm that hangs out over Washington and a second arm over the east side of the intersection. Flashers will be on both of the mast arms to provide warning. It alerts the people on Washington that there is approaching traffic."
Through the Kansas Department of Transportation’s High-Risk Rural Roads
program, KDOT will cover 90% of the cost of design, inspections and
construction.
L & M Contractors of Great Bend is handling the project for
just under $604,000. The county’s share will be $61,000 on a project that also
includes widening a section of Northwest 50 Road where a concrete drainage box
causes a sharp drop-off next to the road. The inspection will include concrete
testing.
"That's where Kirkham-Michael comes into play," said McManaman. "We will have them come onsite to perform some of the testing because we don't have the equipment at the county."
Along with other crashes, a fatal accident occurred at North 30 Road and JUCO
intersection in 2018 that claimed the life of an 18-year-old.