Next phase announced in changing US 69 to a 4 lane highway - KOAM TV 7

Next phase announced in changing US 69 to a 4 lane highway

Kansas Governor Sam Brownback made a stop in Pittsburg on Tuesday to discuss future transportation projects.

The preliminary engineering plans include changing U.S. 69 and U.S. 400 to four-lane highways.

The Kansas Department of Transportation looked at more than a 100 projects and narrowed down their final roadway improvements, including the projects in southeast Kansas.

Those decisions were based on engineering factors and public recommendations through a series of local consultation meetings in October.

"This is the engagement before the wedding, we're announcing these plans - they are the preliminary engineering before you can do the announcement of the construction and the concrete - and we're doing that today," says Governor Brownback.

Two of the projects are preliminary engineering of two sections of Highway 69 - from Fort Scott south to Arma, as well as from the Crawford County-Cherokee County Line to a junction just north of Crestline.

But the projects will take time.

"Next week would be good but in reality we understand it will be a few years or so," says Pittsburg Mayor John Ketterman.

Officials say depending on the type of project the pre-construction phases of a project can take months or years to complete.