Rumors cloud I-70 project proposal near Junction City
JUNCTION CITY (KSNT) - The Kansas Department of Transportation is in the early stages of a highway project in Geary County west of Junction City. However, some residents in the area are pushing back against the plan because they fear it would bring unwanted changes to their community.
KDOT engineers say the bridge over Interstate 70 at Taylor Road is aging and needs to be replaced. The agency identified the the project as a top priority in 2021. It's expected to cost upwards of $30 million to complete and construction could begin as soon as 2027.
The project would give KDOT the opportunity to add a new interchange it says would increase access and encourage additional economic development in the area. The project also opens up the potential for local roadway connections from a proposed interchange to Strauss Boulevard.
On Thursday, KDOT hosted a public open house in Junction City for residents to review early design concepts and talk with staff about the project. Jeff Sims is a road design leader with the Kansas Department of Transportation. He was on hand to explain the different options under consideration.
"We're looking at option one: to replace the bridge only," Sims said. "Option two would be to replace the bridge but also to require the right of way for a future interchange and option three would be to go ahead and build an interchange as part of this project."
The I-70 proposal wasn't the only concern that drew people to Thursday's open house. Many residents who attended voiced concerns over rumors that a slaughterhouse would be built at that location.
Foote Cattle Company is Kansas-based ranching business. It operates ranches on 20,000 acres in the Flint Hills and farms about 30,000 acres of land in Kansas and Nebraska. One of the properties it owns and currently uses for farming is a plot of land north I-70 west of Taylor Boulevard just west of KDOT's proposed road project.
Foote Cattle Company co-owner Scott Foote tells 27 News his company briefly considered getting into the slaughterhouse business months ago, but discarded the idea after determining it was not financial feasible. He said they have no plans to change how the land is currently used, which is strictly for farming and not ranching.
Because of the location and persistent rumors, many residents aren't convinced. Some who attended Thursday's meeting said they believe the project will lead to the construction of a slaughterhouse. They point to the Foote farm's proximity to the bridge project, and the company's earlier proposal.
Junction City leaders are working to ease concerns. City Manager Allen Dinkel said the interchange proposal would only help Junction City grow in size and prosperity.
"At this point, there's no plans, there's no proposals," Dinkel said. "Even the person that bought the land has no plans right now either. We need the interchange there to grow this community because that's how we expand. We need more land."
Junction City resident Scott Kellogg attended the open house. He believes the location for the proposed interchange doesn't make sense.
"They're proposing an interchange at a location that leads nowhere," Kellogg said. "It leads to farmland and privately owned land. Beyond that is the site that has already been purchased by the people who want to build a slaughterhouse."
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Landowner Michelle Munson said she's worried about long-lasting effects the highway project could have on her community.
"We have been farming as 150 years as a family. We're in our sixth generation and our concern about any interchange project that affects the quality of the land is doing just that, degrading its ability to be used to agricultural purposes and to be sustainable."
KDOT officials say they will consider feedback from Thursday's meeting when deciding how to move forward with the project. While a spokesman said the bridge will be replaced no matter what, plans for the proposed interchange won't be solidified until the end of the summer.