Work will begin the week of Feb. 23 to replace the 285-foot bridge on U.S. 59 over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks just north of Parsons, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation.
A 40-mile signed detour will be in place later that week, conditions permitting. KDOT uses state highways for official detour routes for safety, weight and maintenance concerns.
The official detour will take northbound U.S. 59 traffic west on U.S. 400, north on U.S. 169 and east on K-47 to reconnect with U.S. 59. The inverse route will take southbound U.S. 59 traffic around the work zone.
The project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2027, conditions permitting.
The new three-span bridge will be 413 feet long with 12-foot driving lanes and 10-foot shoulders.
KDOT built the railroad bridge in 1937, widened it in 1968 and repaired it in 1990. The bridge is being replaced because it has reached the end of its useful life.
KDOT awarded the $7.9 million construction contract to Bridges Inc., of Newton. The project is funded through KDOT’s 10-year Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program, also called IKE.
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.
