KDOT and consultants present K‑5 modernization study; K‑5 shown to have markedly elevated crash rate

KDOT and consultant teams briefed the Leavenworth County Commission on Nov. 19 about the K‑5 modernization study, outlining current operations, safety data and next steps for public engagement and design.

Jacob Deider of the project management consultant team said the project is in a discovery/study phase and that the team seeks county input on priorities. Jeff McGurro of Kimley Horn said K‑5 currently carries about 4,000 vehicles per day while nearby K‑7 carries roughly 30,000–35,000; consultants projected about a 15% increase in K‑5 traffic over 25 years if conditions remain unchanged.

McGurro and his team highlighted safety problems: 10–11‑foot lanes, little or no shoulders, curves with incorrect superelevation and sections with short sight distance. He said K‑5 has concentrated crash locations and a fatal and serious‑injury rate about "10 times" higher than would be expected for a typical two‑lane Kansas highway. KDOT district staff confirmed they are aware of the crash indicators and that the corridor was placed in the department's development pipeline for study; they also cautioned that constrained state budgets, right‑of‑way challenges (including cemeteries and prison property) and utility relocations could delay major construction into the 2030 program.

The consultant team summarized three guiding goals for potential improvements—safety (reduce severe crashes and fix substandard curves and intersections), connectivity (improve access to regional destinations including I‑435) and modernization (bring the roadway to current standards)—and asked commissioners to weigh tradeoffs. Commissioners debated whether the county should prioritize safety‑only improvements or pursue broader connectivity that could attract more heavy vehicles; some commissioners favored targeted safety fixes such as shoulders and spot improvements, while others raised regional development and connectivity questions (including a separate proposed 152 bridge project).

Next steps: the project team will continue public‑official briefings (Port Authority, City of Leavenworth, Wyandotte, Lansing), hold public open houses and stakeholder meetings in January–February to draft a locally preferred alternative, and then proceed to design and funding phases. KDOT said spot improvements might be possible earlier, but large‑scale construction is subject to funding and program schedules.