K-3 bridge in Bourbon County to be replaced

The official detour around bridge construction on Kansas Highway 3 southwest of Blue Mound will be to take U.S. Highway 59 to U.S. 54. Work on the bridge is scheduled to begin the week of Feb. 16 with construction expected to be complete by December. (KDOT)

Kansas Department of Transportation press release

Work will begin the week of Feb. 16 to replace the Little Osage River bridge on K-3 about two miles south of the Linn County line, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation.

The 36-mile official detour (see map) will be in place later that week, conditions permitting. KDOT uses state highways for official detour routes for safety, weight and maintenance concerns.

Southbound K-3 traffic should follow the signed detour west on K-31 to U.S. 59, south on U.S. 59 to U.S. 54 and east on U.S. 54. Northbound traffic should follow the detour route in the opposite direction.

The project is expected to be completed by December, conditions permitting.

The new bridge will be 313 feet long and 32 feet wide with 12-foot driving lanes and 4-foot shoulders.

KDOT awarded the $4.19 million construction contract to Bridges Inc., of Newton. The project is funded through KDOT’s 10-year, nearly $10 billion Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program (IKE), which is focusing on preserving, modernizing and expanding Kansas’ transportation system.

Check KDOT’s www.kandrive.gov for updated highway conditions and construction details. Persons with questions may contact KDOT Public Information Officer Ray Nolting at (620) 902-6433.