By KIRBY ROSS
Phillips County Review
PHILLIPSBURG — Following multiple media requests, most recently June 28, asking for transparency and information on the multimillion-dollar K-383 highway improvement plan in northeast Norton County and northwest Phillips County, the Kansas Department of Transportation on Friday has finally responded and provided a few details regarding the project timeline.
The 26-mile highway improvement work is slated to stretch the entire distance of the historically dangerous roadway from its intersection with U.S. 36 east of Norton, to its intersection with U.S. 183 on the state line south of Alma, Neb.
The 1950s-era highway is a major route between south-central Nebraska and western Kansas and eastern Colorado, and is so heavily traveled that over 1,000 vehicles pass down it daily, including an average of one semi every three and a half minutes.
According to KDOT, the long-suffering project, delayed since 2011 due a failure of the state to provide funding for it, is separated into three different phases, including:
• Phase I: Phillips County portion of approximately 6 miles starting 2 miles east of Long Island and ending at the U.S. 183 junction.
This phase will encompass the extremely hazardous hill section west of Woodruff, where there are no shoulders and deep canyons serve as ditches.
This stretch of road has been the scene of multiple dramatic high-profile accidents receiving statewide attention.
“Suicide Hill” is located in this section. KDOT has issued no specific plan to the public regarding how it will be addressing this site, which is notorious not only in name, but also in design, construction and condition.
• Phase II: Norton County portion of approximately six miles starting at the east U.S. 36 junction and ending near Almena.
• Phase III: The 14-mile portion from Almena to two miles east of Long Island.
In recent years, conditions along the Phase III section of the highway resulted in the death of a North Valley High School teenaged girl, who collided head-on with a busload of Northern Valley kindergartners and first graders.
Those very young children afterwards had to undergo trauma counseling.
KDOT asserts in its press release dated last Friday:
Construction on Phase I is scheduled to begin in November and involves reconstructing and widening the highway on existing alignment.
Project work also includes flattening sections of hills to improve motorist visibility and adding 6-foot paved shoulders. This portion will be closed for construction starting in March 2022 and a state route detour will be in effect.
Further information regarding the closure points and detour will be issued nearer to the closure date.
Phase II is expected to be let for bidding in 2022 for construction in 2023. Project work will require the highway to be closed during construction.
Phase III is currently still under development. KDOT presented three different design alternatives for a one-week public comment and feedback period earlier this year. Commissioners from Norton and Phillips counties had unsuccessfully lobbied KDOT to provide a 90-day public comment period.
Local interest in the project was so intense that during the very short review period provided by KDOT, more than 800 individuals visited the project website and provided 120 comments.
KDOT officials state it has plans to host a meeting this fall to publicly present the Phase III design concept and to answer questions regarding it.
State public officials have proposed both Norton and Phillipsburg as being possible sites for this meeting, with Almena being counter-proposed by local officials as being a more appropriate location.