Commissioners report from KDOT meeting highlights roundabout plans and cost estimate for Quincy

A commissioner update at the Crawford County Commission meeting described a recent state transportation meeting — referred to in the record as a KDAB meeting — that covered proposed roundabouts and other highway changes affecting county routes.

The item matters to the county because commissioners said the designs are intended to improve traffic flow but come with significant construction costs and potential impacts on routing for truck traffic. “The 1 roundabout, it was at Quincy. I think they estimated at $6,400,000,” one commissioner reported.

The commissioner said the Atkinson design “looked real good” but cautioned that price tags could prevent reconstruction of multi-lane highways; he added that roundabouts may become more common than signalized intersections. Commissioners discussed coordinating with the sheriff’s office, the highway patrol and local sign crews on materials to guide trucks to alternative routes (U.S. 49 or a bypass) and planned a meeting with those stakeholders to distribute literature and signage.

No formal action or vote on the roundabout designs was recorded in the meeting; the report was presented as an informational update. The commissioner described outreach and planning steps the county intends to take to prepare truckers and emergency responders for route changes and said staff would follow up with a meeting in the coming weeks.

The report also indicated KDOT representatives suggested funding opportunities might exist for some elements of the projects, but the transcript did not record details on specific grants or commitments.