Whatever happened to plans for northwest bypass linking Goddard, Maize? Here’s an update

The northwest expressway, a major highway that would connect Maize to Goddard, is getting a second chance at becoming reality after stalling years ago.

Sedgwick County commissioners have approved a formal letter, along with letters of support, to the Kansas Department of Transportation to initiate a new feasibility study for the project.

The study is one of the first steps in getting the project back on track after other area projects were prioritized instead. A feasibility study done in the early 2000s during the project’s original conception is now outdated, commissioners said in their letter.

“A new study could guide future decisions regarding the project and reset expectations for all stakeholders,” the letter reads. “Enough time has passed that stakeholders need to know if the original plan is still the best option and when construction makes the most sense.”

In its earlier design concepts, the highway begins near K-96 and Tyler and stretches for 12 miles southwest, ending near the Kellogg and 183rd Street intersection.

The study will take about a year to complete, according to KDOT.

The letter comes after commissioners voiced frustration late last year when the state’s transportation secretary signaled he likely wouldn’t support the expressway project.

KDOT said the project was not a priority that was brought up during 2021 and 2023 local consult processes.

“... this project did not rank as a top regional priority and was not selected,” a statement by KDOT said in response to questions presented by an Eagle reporter.

The project has been discussed off and on since the early 2000s, and nearly 40% of highway rights of way have been purchased, mostly near Maize and Goddard.

Both cities have seen a dramatic increase in population since the 1990s, going from less than 2,000 people in 1990 to more than 5,000 in 2020, according to U.S. Census Data.

That has frustrated developers who have been eyeing the area for future residential and commercial projects, officials said.

“We’ve got businesses and landowners that need some clarity moving forward,” Maize City Manager Nick Gregory said.

In interviews, government officials pointed to the explosion of development in east Wichita after K-96 opened between I-135 and I-35 in the mid-1990s.

They expect the same will happen on the west side of town if the project comes to fruition.

“From an industrial standpoint, we’ve got some great businesses that have already come in, and I think this would just be a cherry on top, so to speak,” Maize Mayor Pat Stivers said.

The letter points to several developments that have already been built in anticipation of the expressway. Some, including Ascension Via Christi St. Teresa medical center, said they chose their locations because of proximity to the proposed highway, among other factors.

“A bypass coming to fruition would definitely be great for that hospital,” Kevin Strecker, who oversaw the construction of that hospital, said in an interview with The Eagle. “For more people to access the great programs and services that it provides.”

City officials with Maize and Goddard said the expressway could also help with traffic congestion, especially with semis.

“There’s certainly impact when it comes to freight transportation,” Goddard City Adminstrator Craig Crossette said. “They have a really hard time getting through here and getting to where they need to go, because there is no efficient or safe passage for them to get to the northern part of the county.”

“They’ve got to go on Kellogg, as it gets further east, hit four or five stop lights, compete with a lot of city traffic, so to speak, before they can get to the turnpike or I-35 and head north or south.”

The county letter asks for an updated route layout, cost estimate, and project phasing to go along with the study.

This story was originally published February 5, 2025 at 12:26 PM.