The Wichita City Council discussed proposed improvements to K-96 in northeast Wichita and the impact to nearby parks and bike trails.
KDOT plans improvements to the highway between the I-135 interchange and the East Kellogg/I-35 interchange. It will minimally affect the K-96 Lake Park, Chisholm Creek Park North and South and the K-96 Bike Trail.
The project will be completed in phases, beginning with the intersections at Woodlawn and Rock. Phase 2 of work would start at I-135 and go east, including the intersections at Hillside and Oliver. Phase 3 would be the Webb Road interchange, with the final phase from south of Webb to East Kellogg.
KDOT has completed the preliminary designs for the project but the final plans and construction schedule is still being determined.
Also at Tuesday's meeting, the council deferred a motion that would have allowed golf carts to be operated in certain areas of the city.
The council narrowly approved the motion at last week's meeting but did not approve the ordinance at the second reading. The city will get more feedback from the public and will discuss the item further at a city workshop at the end of February.
The city currently plans to bring the ordinance back to the council at their March 18th meeting.
The city of Wichita will reallocate $125,000 left over from the Hyatt Hotel sale for testing of the 29th and Grove contamination site.
Sedgwick County is also expected to contribute $125 thousand, with another $750 thousand needed before a $1 million state match would apply.
The combined funds would cover medical and environmental testing.