KDOT and city explore roundabout and signal options for 190th; public meeting planned

City engineers and Kansas Department of Transportation staff have reviewed alternative designs for the 190th Street intersection near Harrison and are preparing public materials that include a roundabout option with KDOT modifications, City Engineer Allison Abel said Thursday. Abel told the council KDOT "was very much in favor of doing something in there," and that the state proposed design modifications that would preserve ramp access where the roundabout would otherwise conflict with interchange ramps.

The city will prepare renderings and promotional materials and hold public engagement on the alternative designs, with staff targeting the week of Sept. 29 for a meeting so business owners and residents can review the proposed alignment and traffic-control options. Abel said KDOT also agreed to consider funding assistance for the project and noted the city had submitted paperwork requesting approximately $2 million in KDOT support for the signalization and alignment work.

Why it matters: the 190th corridor has experienced crashes and safety concerns; the roundabout alternative aims to improve operations but requires careful coordination with KDOT because of proximity to the U.S. 169 interchange. Council members asked staff to provide graphics and collateral so business owners can digest the options and to schedule the public meeting with sufficient notice.

Next steps: staff will finalize design refinements incorporating KDOT suggestions, publish renderings and collateral for public review, and host a public meeting (staff suggested late September) to gather input before final design decisions.