Sedgwick County to reconstruct 150th Street, widen right-of-way and add shoulders on a 3-mile stretch

Sedgwick County Public Works on Sept. 3 outlined plans to reconstruct 150th Street (referred to in the agenda as 150 First) from 50 Third Street north to K‑96, a project Public Works staff estimated at about three miles.

Public Works said the roadway will remain a two-lane highway but will receive shoulders and be resurfaced with hot mix to replace the current cold-mix surface. ‘‘We’re putting hot mix out there so we can really take that off of our ... crews having to go out there yearly and rebuild this road,’’ Lynn, a Public Works staff member, said.

Staff said most of the existing right-of-way is approximately 40 feet and the project will increase that to about 60 feet — roughly 20 feet additional width overall, with some exceptions along the corridor. The work also includes recutting ditches and shoulder additions to improve safety and reduce annual maintenance needs.

County staff described safety issues for semitrailer traffic near an existing biodiesel plant in the area and said the reconstructed segment at 150th and K‑96 will allow safer left turns for large trucks. The project has been in the capital improvement program for several years, staff said, and Public Works has been working on corridor design and right-of-way acquisition for an extended period.

An easement item related to the 150th Street project was listed on the consent agenda with an identified cost of $33,600. Public Works said the long corridor length means right-of-way acquisition will take some time.

Next steps: staff will continue right-of-way procurement and design work; commissioners asked staff to provide traffic counts for the road.