HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson City Council voted 3-2 to go with the Woodie Seat Freeway option that removes all pedestrian and vehicle access under the new Woodie Seat Freeway at Avenue B, matching the recommendation of the 2017 TEAP Study and which showed the closing of Avenue B due to the low traffic volumes that were observed.
Council members Fast and Garza voted against the motion, Council members Bagwell and Richardson and Mayor Piros de Carvalho voted for the motion.
The residents of the Southwest Bricktown Neighborhood felt that closing all access to Avenue B would harm their community prompting the City of Hutchinson to commission the study.
To maintain pedestrian access at this location, a proposed sidewalk will be constructed on both sides of Woodie Seat south to Avenue C where pedestrians can use the existing bridge opening to cross under the freeway.
As the approved option also takes away the vehicle access that is provided with the current configuration of Avenue B, roadway improvements will need to be designed for vehicles to turn around on both sides of the Woodie Seat Freeway.
The most efficient way to provide this turn around are called “hammerheads”, T-shaped dead-ends that leave room for traffic to turn around while also tying into the existing alley sections north and south of Avenue B.
The goal would be to finish all the design work for the project within about a year and encumber additional ARPA funds made available because of the KDOT Cost Share grant to do work on the side streets in that neighborhood before the deadline to encumber ARPA money in 2024.
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