🎥 Vine project underway with frontage road reconstruction

Reconstruction of the west frontage road between 32nd and 37th started Tuesday in the first phase of the North Vine Street Corridor Improvement Project in Hays. The work is expected to last about eight weeks.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The North Vine Street Corridor Improvement Project got underway Tuesday in Hays with the first phase of construction.

Monday was spent placing signs indicating traffic flow changes as well as mobilization of the contractor, Smoky Hill Construction of Salina. Most of the company's equipment is placed in the lot of the former Ambassador Hotel, which was razed after it closed.

Workers with Smoky Hill Construction, Salina, the contractor for the N. Vine project, begin demolishing concrete Tuesday on the frontage road in front of 24/7 Travel Store.

Work starts first on the west Vine Street frontage road between 32nd and 37th Streets, estimated to take about eight weeks.

According to John Braun, Hays project director, the area is about 1,500 feet long and directly in front of Pheasant Run, Whiskey Creek, Days Inn, Arby's, Econo Lodge, Freddy's and 24/7 Travel Store.

Traffic is reduced to one northbound lane only. Motorists should use 32nd Street to access businesses along the west frontage road, Braun advised.

"Work on the frontage road includes widening, installing curb and gutter on both sides of the road, sidewalk , and new concrete pavement," he said.

The traffic signs will be ubiquitous during the next 17 months of the $13.1 million project.

Four city-produced signs will remain intact throughout the project.

Mike Bliss, public works dept. employee, sets up the first of four notification signs Tuesday that surround the project perimeter.

"The 'Pardon Our Progress' sign is kind of our advertising of the project," said Collin Bielser, assistant city manager. "There'll be one on the north side, one on the south side, and on the off-ramps for the interstate."

The city has also designed signs with logos of the businesses within the project and directional arrows pointing to their access during construction.

Although no left turns will be allowed during construction, access will remain open to all the affected businesses on Vine between 32nd and 41st Streets.

A directional sign for northbound drivers indicates where to turn to access four restaurants on the west side of north Vine.

A pre-construction meeting was hosted last week by Braun, who outlined the entire project timeline over two construction seasons.

Residents with questions about the project can email the city at the project page of the city of Hays website, by emailing the the contractor at hayspublic@smokyhillconst.com, or by calling the Hays Office of Project Management at 785-628-7350.