Haysville road improvement project complete

Crews have completed road work at U.S. 81 (South Broadway) and 79th Street South near Haysville, according to a news release Wednesday from the Kansas Department of Transportation.

The project, which was begun on April 4 and caused all lanes of traffic to close, was derided by residents along 87th Street South, who said drivers were re-routing through their neighborhood to avoid the construction.

Grant Burris, a 31-year-old Marine and a Purple Heart recipient, was killed in a hit-and-run crash on 87th Street South in May.

Tom Hein, public affairs manager for KDOT Wichita Metro, said the construction contract for the project allowed workers until August to complete the project.

“They could have taken that long, but they really worked on it as quickly as they could and they got it opened this afternoon,” Hein said.

Hein acknowledged there were some “local issues” with drivers on 87th Street but that KDOT was responsible only for its official detour – which did not go down 87th Street.

“We’re really interested in our official state detour to take care of the trucks and the traffic that’s unfamiliar with the area, and the detour worked for that,” he said. “(Local drivers) know how to get around.”

The road improvement contract, valued at $947,822, called for the installation of traffic signals and turn lanes.

This story was originally published June 15, 2016 at 4:25 PM with the headline "Haysville road improvement project complete."