KDOT: I-70 resurfacing and multiple Hwy 281 projects to affect Russell County into 2027

Kevin Zimmer of the Kansas Department of Transportation briefed commissioners on several projects that will impact Russell County. KDOT plans to mill and resurface 30 miles of I-70 in two parts: a 20-mile section from the Ellis County line east to the Russell exit and a 10-mile section from the Russell exit east to the county line; Venture Corp received the bid and work will begin this year but may not be finished until 2027. Zimmer also reported that Hwy 281 inside Russell—from the train tracks north to 15th Street—will be replaced with a projected spring 2027 closure and detours, and that construction was approved for a five-mile stretch north of Luray with no specific timeline provided.