Officials break ground for Kellogg, I-235 interchange project

Perhaps it was fitting that the groundbreaking ceremony for a major highway project 10 years in the making took place on Oct. 21, 2015.

Kansas’ Secretary of Transportation Mike King tied the ceremony to the “Back to the Future” trend on social media Wednesday – Marty McFly had traveled to this date in the movie “Back to the Future Part II.”

“Here we are today … helping celebrate the future,” he said as officials turned dirt for a project overhauling the Kellogg and I-235 interchange in west Wichita. Planning has been underway for 10 years.

Here’s what you need to know about the project and how it will affect you.

▪ Eastbound Kellogg to northbound I-235: Crews will widen the cloverleaf ramp, allowing for a more generous turning radius.

▪ Southbound I-235 to eastbound Kellogg: Crews will install a two-lane elevated flyover ramp.

▪ Northbound I-235 to westbound Kellogg: Crews will install a one-lane, elevated flyover ramp.

Crews with Dondlinger Construction also will widen the Kellogg bridge over West Street to accommodate the new ramp lanes.

For more detailed information, visit www.235kelloggcentral.com.

Drivers will start seeing cones and equipment in the next 15 to 30 days, but the bulk of the construction will not begin until next summer. At least one lane of traffic will be blocked in both directions on Kellogg and I-235, said Raymond Dondlinger of Dondlinger Construction.

If more lanes or ramps need to be closed, the Kansas Department of Transporation said, it will give ample notice to drivers. Dondlinger said he estimates that one lane will be closed in each direction for 90 percent of the project.

One of the most traveled interchanges in the state will get a much-needed remodel, improving safety and convenience for drivers. When the cloverleaf design of the current interchange was built in 1962, it saw 16,000 cars using it daily. In 2014, that number had increased to 140,000 cars per day. It’s an intersection that had nearly 180 collisions in 2014.

Phase One, also known as the Red Project, has a scheduled completion date of June 28, 2019, according to Dondlinger Construction, which won the bid for the project. Phases Two through Four haven’t been finalized, because funding is not available yet.

Construction costs for the first phase of the project will be nearly $103 million, according to a news release Wednesday from the Kansas Department of Transportation. According to KDOT’s website, the total cost of the first phase is around $143 million, which includes design, right-of-way, utilities and inspection. Of that amount, 90 percent is federal and state dollars from the state’s T-WORKS transportation program. The other 10 percent comes from Sedgwick County, which pledged $11.6 million in 2012 for a local match.

“To finally get this done before the sun burns out is a lifelong dream realized.” – Wichita City Council member Bryan Frye

“During the construction, I think it slows down traffic – that may be a little bit of an issue for people who use it frequently, but I think you’ve got to keep your eye on the prize. ... Truth is, we’re probably 20 years behind the curve on getting it straightened out.” – Sedgwick County Commissioner Tim Norton

This story was originally published October 21, 2015 at 10:05 PM with the headline "Officials break ground for Kellogg, I-235 interchange project."