Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City engineers outline $13 million Red Demon Drive plan to add second high‑school access
Summary
City engineers told the USD 443 board the Red Demon Drive project will add a second access to Dodge City High School, improve safety at the Ross/14th intersection and split construction into city and KDOT phases; city share estimated at $13 million, campus work $2–2.5 million, with bids expected this summer and completion targeted for January 2028.
City of Dodge City engineers presented a near‑final design for the Red Demon Drive intersection improvement and a second access to Dodge City High School, saying the project aims to reduce congestion and address safety concerns at the Ross Boulevard and 14th Avenue intersection.
"We're getting closer to finalize design on the project, and we'll be going out to bid here within about a month for the construction project," Tanner Rochman, city engineer, told the USD 443 Board of Education. Rochman said KDOT studies and a follow‑up local access study identified Loretta Avenue (now Red Demon Drive) as the most appropriate site for a second access point.
The engineers said traffic and crash analyses drove the choice. "The crash rate at that intersection was over 150% above the statewide average for highway intersections," Rochman said, arguing that a second access and intersection improvements would improve safety and circulation.
City staff described two concept options studied—a roundabout or a signalized intersection—and presented a refined hybrid plan that includes dual left‑turn lanes, additional receiving lanes on the highway, a roundabout on the southeast corner of the high‑school campus and separate bus and parent drop‑off loops on campus.
Ray Slattery, director of engineering, explained construction phasing and right‑of‑way needs. "Through this process, the city is gonna need to acquire right of way from the school district to construct the road and then maintain the road," Slattery said. City staff said they are finalizing easements and right‑of‑way acquisitions with USD 443 and expect to advertise the city (non‑KDOT) package in roughly a month, with the KDOT portion following in the fall.
Rochman gave a planning estimate of roughly $13,000,000 for the city's recommended improvements and $2 million to $2.5 million for on‑campus USD 443 work; engineers said some state and federal funding has already been secured for segments of the highway work. Bids would be advertised for about a month, city staff said, with construction hoped to start late this fall and overall project completion targeted by January 2028.
Board members pressed on pedestrian safety and parking. Slattery said sidewalks, trail connections and a signal with pedestrian controls are included in the design and that the proposed streetwork would not remove existing parking stalls: "All these improvements are outside the existing lot," he said.
The presentation concluded with staff noting that two separate approval packages will come before the board—one for the city's portion and one for the district's construction package—and that quantities will be separated for district approval.
The board received the update; no formal board action on the project funding or right‑of‑way was taken at the meeting.
The city presentation ran from SEG 112 through SEG 433 and included engineering renderings, phasing notes and timeline estimates; engineers responded to board questions about pedestrian controls, parking impacts and construction timing.
