New interchanges, stoplight changes considered for K-15 between Derby, Wichita
A Kansas highway connecting Derby and Wichita could get major improvements, but when is still unknown.
A 5.67-mile stretch of K-15 from 95th Street South in Derby to I-135 in Wichita has long been considered dangerous, with about 1,050 crashes in 10 years. Thirteen of those crashes involved serious injuries and six have been fatal.
In response, the Kansas Department of Transportation partnered with Derby, Wichita, Sedgwick County, the Kansas Turnpike Authority and the Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization to study how safety could be improved in the corridor.
Based on data and on comments from open houses, the study recommends:
- Relocating the KTA interchange to MacArthur to effectively separate the roadway of MacArthur and K-15, providing safer connections between the Turnpike and K-15.
- Replacing a stoplight with a green-only light at southbound K-15 and 31st South, keeping the northbound stoplight, adding more turn lanes and eliminating the railroad crossing.
- A new interchange at K-15 and 95th Street.
- Additionally, a new exit to 95th off K-15.
“These (recommendations are) showing some possible short-term and long-term improvements,” JB Wilson, KDOT’s Wichita metro public information officer, told The Eagle. “We took a lot of the areas into consideration. . . . There’s a lot of traffic that goes between here and Derby, and so we also put into account the railroad that goes parallel to K-15 and even the Arkansas River.”
Before presenting the recommendations, KDOT held several open houses for residents to voice concerns and opinions about that portion of the roadway. At one open house last year, residents talked about high traffic and the need for intersection improvements.
In addition to these specific recommendations, the study also recommended overall railroad and intersection improvements.
As for when Derby residents could see these changes, Wilson said that is unknown.
“As of right now, we don’t have anything funded,” Wilson said.
Wilson said the purpose of this study was for the findings to be taken into consideration for future projects, instead of creating a specific timeline for the improvements.
“It will depend on funding, it will depend on the local consult process that takes place every two years,” Wilson said. “But, you know, having these study findings is really important.”
How to submit comments on K-15 improvements
There is still time to submit your comments and opinions on the K-15 corridor to KDOT.
If you were unable to attend the public meeting, you can submit your public comments on KDOT’s website. You just need to enter your name, email and your comment.
You can look at all of the renderings and recommendations on K-15 corridor management plan’s page on KDOT’s website. There, you can find photos of the recommended changes as well as information from open houses held previously.
