Atchison County approves $1.22 million purchase order to begin Ottawa Road phase two

The Atchison County Board of Commissioners voted 3-0 to approve a $1,218,022 purchase order for Kings Construction to begin phase two of the Ottawa Road rehabilitation.

Dan Stack of Schwab Eaton, the county's engineering consultant, told commissioners the first two-mile phase of the project costs about $1.2 million and that work will proceed south-to-north in two-mile segments. "It's about a $1.2 million project for this first couple of miles," Stack said, adding that the state has provided cost-share funding to reduce the county's share. Contractors will place an 8-inch cement-treated base, mix old asphalt and subgrade, and follow with compaction, drainage work and restoration.

Road and Bridge interim superintendent Emily Sternsorf said Kings expects to deliver cement and perform the mixing over roughly three days per treated segment, weather permitting. Staff said an on-site county inspector, Denise, will be present most days and that Kings is responsible for traffic-control signage; county crews will maintain county-placed signs as needed.

Commissioners approved directing Road & Bridge to pay monthly bills to Kings and to submit those bills to KDOT for reimbursement. The motion included authorization to issue the purchase order so work and invoicing can proceed without delay.

The county expects the cement-treated sections to cure in about seven days for light access and for subsequent work to continue through the summer and into the fall, with the next two-mile segment targeted for completion by September. Officials said erosion controls such as silt fence would be used to protect culverts and ditches during construction.

Next steps: Road and Bridge will issue the purchase order and coordinate inspection and traffic-control plans with Kings Construction, with periodic project updates to the commission.