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Resident complaints prompt Chase County to remove illegal 'no trucks' signs and beef up truck‑route signage
Summary
After a resident described several close calls and a heated incident with a truck driver, the Chase County Commission directed staff to remove "no trucks beyond this point" signs (which lack legislative authority) and to add larger, clearer truck‑route signage on SP Road and Norton Creek Road.
A Chase County resident’s safety complaints about trucks prompted the county commission to act on signage this week.
Resident West Bailey asked the commission to make a segment of Road 152150 (T Road) a formal truck route, saying the road was built to handle heavy haul and that a resolution would provide legal protection for families and livestock. "The taxpayers have already paid for the road to be built, and it's built to withstand heavy haul," Bailey said, urging formal designation.
Commissioners and staff replied that while the county maintains a recommended or courtesy truck route used by quarry operators, the county lacks authority to prohibit truck travel on a public road without study and supporting state action. Staff explained two distinct sign types: truck‑route signs (a recommended routing) and "no trucks beyond this point" signs, which the county lacks statutory authority to enforce. That legal gap, staff said, exposes the county to liability if it tried to restrict commercial truck traffic without a formal study and supporting legislation.
The resident recounted a recent escalating encounter with a truck driver and asked for protections. Commissioners urged reporting threats or abusive behavior to law enforcement and noted that interpersonal incidents are enforcement or employer issues, not a regulatory fix for the road‑routing question. The chair asked staff to continue working with quarry operators and landowners to keep the recommended route in place.
As a concrete step, commissioners voted to remove the legally problematic "no trucks beyond this point" signs and to install larger, more conspicuous truck‑route signage on S P Road (SP Road/150) and Norton Creek Road at the established courtesy‑route entrances. The county directed staff to carry out the sign removal and order larger truck‑route signs so changes can be made simultaneously where feasible.
The commission emphasized it was not moving to bar trucks from public roads; rather, the action was meant to clarify signage and preserve the existing recommended route while the county works with stakeholders and, if needed, pursues formal traffic studies with KDOT and the Kansas Corporation Commission.
Next steps: county staff will remove the identified no‑truck signs, order larger truck‑route signs for the two entrances named, and continue outreach with the quarry and affected landowners. Commissioners said they will reconsider any further restrictions only after technical safety studies and consultation with state agencies.
