Translines Express
March 14, 2012
Local Attraction
Tough Guys: Prairie dogs on
17th Avenue in Hutchinson outlasted a major project on K-61
and continue their long-time
coexistence with traffic. Photo
submitted by District 5 Public
Affairs Manager Martin Miller.
Send us a photo of your favorite local attraction — nature,
museums, restaurants, arts, to
[email protected]
Cable Barriers
Takin’ A Hit: The cable median barrier on K-96
in Wichita has now been hit nine times with the
last hit in February. The four miles of sections run
along K-96 from I-135 to Rock Road and were
installed last August. The 1/2-mile section of cable median barrier in north Topeka on U.S. 75
from N.W. 35th Street south has been hit once
since being installed in July. District One Engineer Clay Adams said the barriers in these areas
are working as intended. Cable median barrier
will be placed on two 2-mile sections of K-10 later
this year with the project scheduled to be let to
construction in June. One section will run between the two Eudora interchanges and the other
will extend one mile either way of the K-7 interchange.
Cable median barrier on K-96 in Wichita has now
been hit nine times. The barrier was installed last
August. Photo by Tom Hein.
T-WORKS
Translines Express Poll
Ready To Turn Dirt: Acting Secretary Rankin
will help break ground Friday on the I-35 &
Homestead Lane Interchange in Johnson
County. This important project will enhance the safety of
tens of thousands of
motorists who travel
through here daily. It
will also have a significant economic
impact, as the interchange is linked to
the intermodal facility
being built a mile-and
-a-half away. When
the intermodal facility opens, the average daily
traffic is expected to be more than 13,000, including 3,200 trucks. Watch KDOT’s Facebook page
and next week’s Translines Express for groundbreaking photos.
What does March Madness mean to you?
Photos by
Laura Burnham
Mike “Batman” Stock removes the bat from a
hallway wall while Melinda Marlar watches.

It's the most wonderful
time of the year

I like following my
team, but that's all

Will this obsession
ever end?
Click here to vote
Have An Idea?
Have an idea for a news brief or picture that
could be featured in an upcoming edition of
Translines Express? Please e-mail your suggestions to [email protected]
Going Batty: There’s something batty going
on in the Bureau of Right of Way and employees on the 14th floor can attest to it. For the
second time in the past three weeks a mousesized brown bat has made itself at home in
Right of Way. Monday morning several employees walked right past the bat that was
clinging to a hallway wall before it caught the
eye of Melinda Marlar. She then called on fellow employee Mike Stock to become a batcatcher. Using a newspaper, Stock guided the
bat into a plastic cup. This bat won’t be coming back anytime soon as Melissa Millick took
it home and let it go in the woods. The first
spotting of a bat was three weeks ago when
Sherri Bain found one near a water fountain.
We’re not sure how either one got in. These
furry creatures often get a bat-rap (pun intended). Click here to learn more about bats
and see how they are actually beneficial.
Under the Dome
Hard At Work: Both the House and Senate are
busy with committee work as the Legislature
grinds toward first adjournment at the end of the
month. The House Appropriations Committee has
approved its version of the appropriations bill,
which would include a $10 reduction in longevity
bonuses from $50 to $40. The House version of
the appropriations bill is scheduled to be worked
on the floor later this week. The Senate will begin
work on its version of the appropriations bill on
Thursday. Then the bill will likely go to conference
committee where the House and Senate will compromise on appropriations matters.
The House tax plan passed that chamber this
week. The T-WORKS funding delays that were
initially proposed in the plan were eliminated. The
only fiscal impact to the transportation program
anticipated under this version of the plan is the
exemption of sales tax on groceries. The Senate
will now have both the House tax plan and the
Governor’s tax plan to consider, both of which
sustain T-WORKS funding. Nothing is set in
stone until both the House and Senate agree on
the changes, which likely will not happen until
late April/early May.
Economic Development
Jobs, Jobs, Jobs: KDOT has awarded Winfield
$2 million in economic development funding to
help facilitate an expansion of the Newell Rubbermaid plant that will create hundreds of jobs.
The funds will be used to provide roadway access improvements to
U.S. 160 and make
significant rail improvements. Rubbermaid is expanding its
operation with the
construction of a new
500,000 square-foot distribution center. KDOT
estimates a total of 417 direct and indirect jobs
will be created and a capital investment of $26
million will be realized through the Rubbermaid
expansion. KDOT’s Economic Development Program was significantly enhanced under TWORKS to bring new jobs to Kansas and increase capital investment.
St. Paddy’s Day Prep: The La Crosse Subarea
crew does an annual curb and gutter clean-up in
the city of Rush Center for its long running annual
St. Patrick’s Day parade and celebration. The La
Crosse crew spends 3-4 days cleaning the curb
and gutters. Photo by KDOT Photographic
Services.
KDOT’s Social Networks:
News Clips
Just A Reminder: Since Feb. 9, the Bureau of
Transportation Information has been distributing
daily news clips in a format that will link directly to
news websites. This improved format allows you
to read the stories when you don’t have access
to KDOT’s intranet system. It also allows you to
see photos/videos associated with the stories, as
well as reader comments. Clips that have been
archived on our intranet for the past three years
will continue to be accessible. If you would like to
receive daily Transclips by e-mail, please contact
Traci Ward at [email protected].