Ideas for US-56 bring a crowd

By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

Nearly 40 people participated July 23 in an open house soliciting ideas for improvements on US-56 between Marion and McPherson.

Kansas Department of Transportation public involvement specialist Lindsey Milburn said suggestions would be reviewed by engineers and consultants before they recommend potential changes.

Seven KDOT engineers and seven consultants were available to talk with members of the public. On display was a long, detailed map of the highway, including locations of culverts, overpasses, railroad crossings, and intersections.

People not only talked with engineers and consultants but also wrote comments and put red or yellow stickers on the map. Red stickers were for areas of particular concern, and yellow stickers were for comments.

Some suggestions were relatively low cost, such as rumble strips or rumble stripes along outside lanes to warn drivers where the highway edge is.

Other suggestions were pricier, such as adding more paved shoulder and passing lanes and improving intersections.

Marion resident Dina Vogel, who drives US-56 almost daily as a bus driver, said the highway needed passing lanes from Timber to Sunrise Rds. She also said the grade should be taken down and passing lanes should be installed at both Remington Rd. and MKC co-op near Canton.

She also would like longer turn lanes with flashing lights and passing lanes on curves.

According to KDOT statistics, the corridor has fewer than average crashes but greater than average fatalities. Crashes are more likely to happen at intersections.

The 36-mile Marion to McPherson corridor has 8½ miles of paved shoulder, 27½ miles of rock shoulder, and 22 bridges as well as a railroad overpass at Marion’s levee, and access to Marion Reservation.

Six towns are included in the corridor: McPherson, Galva, Canton, Lehigh, Hillsboro, and Marion.

The highway project is not yet selected for funding by KDOT. Work on numerous other highways statewide also is being considered as part of KDOT’s Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program.