By JUDD WEIL
Hutch Post
RENO COUNTY, Kan. — The K-14 realignment project was completed, and the highway reopened with new interchanges on June 14.
The moment was commemorated with a ribbon-cutting by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), and representatives from the cities of Nickerson, Sterling and Hutchinson, and officials from Reno and Rice counties.
The 15-mile, $81.7 million realignment project began in the spring of 2021. The work stretched from near Hutchinson to Nickerson to Sterling.
Acting KDOT Secretary Calvin Reed gave the opening remarks and talked about the project.
“No doubt those of us who travel this beautiful new stretch of K-14 for the first time will be amazed at the amount of work that’s taken place,” Reed said.
In Reno County, the seven-mile project included five bridges and 24 reinforced concrete boxes. Earthwork involved nearly two and a quarter million cubic yards of fill and more than 100,000 tons of asphalt.
K-14 in Rice County is about eight miles in length, and it required construction of six bridges, 19 reinforced concrete boxes, and a similar amount of fill and asphalt as in Reno County.
The result is a 15-mile two lane asphalt freeway with eight-foot paved shoulders and with right-of-way secured to accommodate expansion to four lanes in the future.
The new highway will improve safety by limiting access to new interchanges. In addition to the interchange at Nickerson Road in Nickerson, other interchanges will be at 56th Avenue near Hutchinson and at Broadway Avenue near Sterling.
The new alignment also improves safety by allowing for adequate passing opportunities and eliminating the sharp turns that came with the existing alignment, which in some places dated back to World War I.
“The opening of this new highway represents the turning of a page for generations of residents and travelers, for whom the existing K-14 and K-96 routes was an integral part of their lives in their community’s history,” Reed said. “Now we open the door to the convenience and the opportunity this newly constructed highway represents. The new K-14 will make travel easier and more expedient. The drive from Sterling to Nickerson to Hutchinson and vice versa, is about to become smooth and seamless, requiring less travel time.”
Reed added that for thousands of residents, the new highway represents improved access to work, shopping, healthcare, recreation, commerce, and education, as well as visiting friends and family.
The new highway will allow first responders to be more prompt in reaching emergencies.
Additionally, the convenience of the new K-14 highway will be a selling point in attracting and keeping new residents and bringing new businesses to south-central Kansas.
During his opening remarks, Reed also addressed distinguished guest Lorene Bethell.
Lorene Bethell is the wife of the late Kansas Representative Bob Bethell, who represented Rice County and parts of Reno and Barton Counties. Bob Bethell died in a car accident when he was driving home after the Legislature had adjourned.
“On Saturday, July 1, a ceremony will take place honoring Representative Bethell’s honor and bring attention to the new K-14 memorial interchange sign in his name,” Reed said.
The sign will be installed at the new K-14 interchange just outside of Sterling.
Nickerson Mayor Peggy Ruebke said she looked back at the history of the project.
“Today, June 14, I have the honor of helping cut the ribbon, two days before the scheduled completion,” Ruebke said.
Sterling Mayor Bob Boltz said it is nice to have the project come to an end.
“The City of Sterling would like to thank the many partners Involved in bringing this project to fruition,” Boltz said. “Back in the 1980s, the concept of the project was shared with our community, and since then our community leaders have worked diligently to make the project a benefit to the community.”
Boltz said Sterling has been very involved in the project when it came to representing their community and addressing the state highway system’s impact on Sterling citizens.
Hutchinson Mayor Jon Richardson said the K-14 project represents more for Hutchinson businesses.
“For the small businesses that are located in Hutchinson that operate within the region, it's all about accessibility and convenience,” Richardson said.
Reno County Commission chairperson Daniel Friesen commended KDOT for their work on the K-14 highway.
“KDOT builds some of the best roads in the nation, I think we’re often in the top five as far as best roads,” Friesen said. “You can see that. All of their new work, it’s stellar work. This bridge and everything is pristine when they’re done with it. It’s an impressive feat.”
Friesen said the communities benefiting from K-14 should feel a lot closer now.
Rice County Commission chairperson Clay Thomas said the K-14 highway represents change and a more interconnected community among those peppered along it.
“The world has gotten small enough that what benefits us in Sterling now helps benefit Nickerson and vice-versa, we’re all thinking together on this,” Thomas said. “For us this is an immediate relief to some of our infrastructure.”
Thomas said it is going to be interesting to see what the rest of the benefits of the new highway are, but he believes the communities along the route are fortunate to have forward-thinking and thorough people on projects like K-14.
Bob Bergkamp Construction Co. Inc., of Wichita, was the primary contractor for the K-14 highway project.
The new K-14 alignment opened Wednesday afternoon.
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