Big Blue River second‑connection study shows routes with steep right‑of‑way and bridge costs; commissioners urged political consensus

A locally funded analysis of potential routes for a second connection across the Big Blue River laid out large differences in cost, property impacts and flood resilience at a May 21 Raleigh County commissioners meeting.

Jared Tremblay, director of the Flint Hills metropolitan planning organization, presented five candidate alignments (labeled A–E) intended to relieve traffic on U.S. 24. He said the study was not sponsored by KDOT and that the material is intended as factual inputs to future decisions. Key findings included:

• Flood resilience: Options B and D were the only routes likely to remain passable in a 100‑year flood under current designs; other alternatives would require substantial right‑of‑way acquisition or elevation.

• Right of way and property impacts: Route alignments range from roughly 37 up to more than 120 acres of right‑of‑way and involve multiple landowners, with longer alignments (including bridges) requiring the most acquisitions.

• Traffic and travel time: Under present conditions the most direct route (Route A) carries the highest projected daily traffic (just over 2,000 today up to about 5,067 under a high growth scenario), while other routes show lower daily volumes; Tremblay said most options shorten travel time only modestly compared with a four‑lane U.S. 24 in the study’s models.

• Cost: Construction, right‑of‑way and contingency estimates vary widely. Tremblay cited figures in the range of roughly $98.4 million for one mid‑range alignment and up to $245.6 million for the longest bridge route; he emphasized that bridge elements account for a substantial fraction of the cost.

Tremblay said the findings include a travel‑time calculator and interactive web maps so the public can explore options, but he stressed the next step is political consensus among jurisdictions before moving to preliminary design, land acquisition and final construction. He also noted that if the route remains a locally owned road (most likely under the study’s assumptions), maintenance responsibilities and cost shares would need to be negotiated among affected counties and municipalities.

Commissioners and presenters discussed modeling assumptions, growth projections and how travel‑time differences depend on speed assumptions and future lane counts for U.S. 24. One commissioner noted that current counts on U.S. 24 (about 25,870 vehicles in 2024, the latest KDOT figures cited) are below prior years and that projected growth scenarios are high‑end estimates.

Next steps: the presenter said the study is intended to inform ongoing outreach and intergovernmental discussion; any move toward design or right‑of‑way acquisition would require political agreements and additional funding decisions.