WICHITA, Kansas – Kellogg and
Rock Road is one of the busiest intersections in the city.
For the past three years, thousands of drivers have been forced to weave their way through a maze of orange cones.
“It’s just insane,” driver Roxann Witzke said. “If you’re not from here, and you don’t know the roads it takes you an extra thirty minutes. It’s very much a headache.”
That headache is about to get a big dose of aspirin, as the city plans to reopen the intersection.
“It’s going to be more convenient,” Witzke said. “It’s going to be a time-saver. The traffic is going to flow so much better.”
Kellogg will now serve as a freeway going under Rock Road. The freeway will eliminate the stoplight at the intersection.
Before construction began in 2006, it took cars an average of three light cycles to get through the intersection. With the new intersection, drivers can expect to save on average of ten minutes of commuting time.
The time savings starts on Wednesday, when the city will route eastbound traffic onto the freeway after the morning rush hour.
On Friday, westbound traffic will also be routed onto Kellogg.
The following week, cones will come down on Rock Road.
The near-completion of the project follows years of work and nearly $155 million. However, it’s a project the city says will pay for itself.
“We would expect $450 million of economic benefit for this type of project,” project manager Michael Jacobs said. “There has been several studies throughout the state on freeway projects. The minimum return is about three times the investment.
Several new businesses are already popping up near Kellogg and Rock Road. For drivers, however, the best part remains the ability to zoom through the intersection.
The city says the next phase of the project is to complete Kellogg as a freeway to the Butler County line.
