A bridge-replacement project in W. Wichita has begun.
The Kansas Department of Transportation project will take place on Kellogg just east of Hoover Road, between Hoover and the I-235 interchange. The bridge, which dates to 1971, carries Highway U.S. 54 over the Big Ditch.
Kellogg will remain open with two lanes in each direction while construction proceeds. East-bound Kellogg traffic will be unable to access northbound I-235 during the early months of the project.
Motorists needing to access north-bound I-235 will be directed to south-bound I-235, continue to Highway K-42, and then use north-bound I-235 from there.
Construction is anticipated to continue for nearly two years, through August 2028.
King Construction, of Hesston, is the primary contractor for the $5.1 million project. The current Kellogg stretch of the 55-year-old bridge is narrow, with lots of ruts and potholes over the Flood Control Canal.
There are at least 87,000 vehicles using the Kellogg bridge over the M.S. "Mitch" Mitchell Floodway daily, including thousands of heavy commercial vehicles.
The proposed plan is for two bridges to be built to replace the single bridge currently carrying traffic for both directions of Kellogg.
During set-up on Sunday for the start of construction, traffic on east-bound Kellogg was bumper-to-bumper from I-235 all the way back to Ridge Road.
