TOPEKA (KSNT) - Construction is set to begin next spring on the Polk-Quincy viaduct project.
27 News sat down with Steve Baalman, the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) Topeka Metro Engineer, to find out what Topekans can expect when the construction gets underway.
"It's going to be a big benefit to the city of Topeka for this project once it is complete," Baalman said. "Now, the getting there will be very uncomfortable."
Baalman says there's three phases, or 'seasons,' of construction planned. The first will begin as early in the spring of 2025 as weather allows, and will last until the first part of 2026.
"First season is the big season for Topeka boulevard," Baalman said.
During that time, through traffic between North Topeka and downtown will need to use the Kansas Ave. bridge or another alternate route. Phase one sets the stage for the rest of the project, which Baalman says is all about improving the safety and efficiency of traffic.
"Capacity wise it will be better," he said. "Safety wise it will be far better than what is there today."
The new viaduct bridge will have a flatter curve than its current form, and will nearly double in width to create room for shoulders on each side of the road.
"The width of each single bridge in the future construction," he said, "is going to be as wide as the one bridge that carries both directions."
Baalman says many Topekans have stories of "close calls" when entering westbound I-70 via the current 3rd street ramp.
"That is one of the things we're correcting with this," he said. "We're getting rid of those sharp, non-standard, old design features that are not as safe as today's standards would dictate."
According to Baalman, the current bridge built in the early 1960s, "has reached the end of its functional life." He says the seeds for the new version were first planted in 2008.
Construction is expected to be finished in the fall of 2027.
For the project's full timeline, renderings of the new viaduct, and more information on the three phases of construction, click here.
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