Upgrades needed at Nighthawk and 130th
Preliminary work will take $55,000
Staff writer
Safety was the main concern Monday when county commissioners met with Bruce Boettcher of BG Consultants to discuss improving driving conditions at the intersection of 130th St. and Nighthawk Rd.
In a letter to the Kansas Bureau of Local Projects, Chairman Roger Fleming said the county was applying for funding because the intersection has offset section lines that endanger north and southbound traffic.
Proposed changes included flattening all side slopes, marking the curve with object markers, and lengthening the Caitlin Creek tributary box culvert.
Commissioners informed Boettcher there was only one reported injury and one fatality at the intersection in the last few years, and there were many more accidents without injury that happened because of the intersection.
The Kansas Department of Transportation estimated the construction project would cost around $285,000. Preliminary engineering, rights of way, and utility adjustments would cost approximately $55,000. Commissioners signed agreements to begin the improvement process.
In other business:
- Park and Lake Superintendent Steve Hudson said the lake is already receiving interest from new visitors, evidenced by the frequency of people asking about fishing licenses and camper rates.
- Commissioners approved the expansion of the area on the conditional use permit for proposed wind farms by Windborne Energy. Robert Gayle also met with commissioners to clarify the concerns of Florence residents about the wind farm.
- Road and Bridge Superintendent Randy Crawford discussed promotions for employees in his department, which commissioners said they would look into in the future.
- Commissioners met with transfer station director Rollin Schmidt for five minutes in a closed session. Upon return to open session, commissioners said they were allowing Schmidt to replace an employee that recently resigned.