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Writer's pictureCharlene Sims, Journal staff

Wildlife official, county discuss fate of Queens Road

This section of Queens Road has been designated as a one-lane road as county officials evaluate options in trying to keep it open. The roadway is being undercut by the Marais des Cygnes River to the east. (Journal file photo)


By Charlene Sims, info@linncountyjournal.com


MOUND CITY – Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) area manager Jason Coulter met with the Linn County Commissioners on Monday, Nov. 18, to discuss repairing Queens Road. Commission Chair Danny McCullough was absent from the meeting. 


Public Works Director Shaun West started the discussion with the history of the project. West reported that originally the commissioners wanted the road to be made safe because the Marais des Cygne River was washing it away at a bend. 


At that time, in September 2023, it was decided to do this as a joint project with KDWP because the road leads to Area G of the wildlife refuge and the land on the west side is owned by the state. 


The county paid for an engineering assessment of the situation and learned from the engineer that the county’s liability issue could be taken care of by placing signage and making the road a one-lane drive. The signage is in place and the liability is covered. The recommendation of the engineer was that the road be moved over.


However, since that decision was made, it has been determined that there is a limitation to what funds the state can put into the road since it does not own it. The state can offer some in-kind assistance but no money. 


Several weeks ago, McCullough wanted an update on the project. West had suggested that it might be beneficial to turn the road over to the state so state funds could be used in repairing the road. 


Commissioners Jason Hightower and Jim Johnson wanted a guarantee from the state that the road would remain open if that happes. Throughout the discussions about the road, McCullough expressed concerns that no county residents lived along the road, and he questioned putting money into the road repair.


On Monday, Nov. 18, Coulter said that the state could not guarantee that the road would always remain open if the state took it over. 


Coulter did tell the commissioners that a lot of money had been invested into paving a section of Radcliffe Road, which is what Queen’s Road transitions into not far from this location. He said there has already been some investment into traffic flow through that part of the county.


He also said the costs of Queens Road repairs would be much less than what was put into Radcliffe Road. Coulter said that if this road was closed, people would have to drive five miles or more to reach the Area G location.


Hightower pointed out that in an emergency situation and getting to that area with an emergency vehicle, the five-mile detour also has a trestle where a train could be parked, blocking that access. 


According to West, the engineering study suggested that the road should be moved away from the river about 16 feet, and that would put it on KDWP property. 

The commissioners decided that the county should continue to monitor the road and plan on moving it over in the future.


West suggested that the county start placing money in the special road fund when it was received from the Federal Emergency Management A (FEMA) for the road repairs that the county was working on now. He said that, after 950 Road and 1350 Road were completed, he would have Road Operations Manager Jesse Walton look at the project and give and estimates to the commissioners. 

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