Hillsboro continues push against KDOT
Staff writer
Hillsboro City Council decided Tuesday to press the state to reconsider proposed changes to US-56 that could limit access to city business.
Kansas Department of Transportation’s preliminary concepts for US-56 improvements include closing or consolidating three access points in Hillsboro and one in Marion.
According to city administrator Matt Stiles, the design was created using traffic spacing formulas and was not shared with the project’s advisory group before being presented at a public open house.
“They were asked to reduce the number of entrances,” Stiles said. “They ran it through the formula, and that’s what came out.”
City leaders contacted state and federal lawmakers after the proposal was revealed and have heard back from KDOT and project engineers. Despite those conversations, Mayor Lou Thurston said, the city will continue pushing back.
“We’re not going to quit hitting them until this goes completely away,” Thurston said.
He questioned why speed reductions used in nearby communities as an alternative were not included in Hillsboro’s proposal.
The city council took no formal action Tuesday night, but council members said preserving highway access remained a priority.
In other business, the council reviewed water and electric utility data and said no rate increases were planned.