Old 56 Hwy. at Lone Elm Rd., will be closed to traffic beginning March 1, 2021. 

Lone Elm Rd. will remain open to traffic during construction.

This closure is tentatively scheduled to last three months. 

The project will be near substantial completion once the roadway has re-opened to traffic.

View the Lone Elm & Old 56 Hwy detour map.

June 7 Update

The intersection of Old 56 Hwy. and Lone Elm Rd. is now open to traffic. Remaining items to be completed include sidewalk, grading, and restoration. There will be periodic lane drops while crews complete the project.

March 30 Update

Construction is progressing and remains on schedule at Old 56 Hwy. and Lone Elm Rd.

Old 56 Hwy. has been milled and pavement repair is underway.

Crews are now working on installing electrical conduit and streetlight bases in the medians.

Concrete curbs will be poured over the next several weeks.

A Public Information Meeting was held virtually on February 18 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

The first continuous flow intersection in the state of Kansas will be installed at the intersection of Lone Elm Rd. and Old 56 Hwy. in 2021. 

A continuous flow intersection improves traffic flow and reduces delays by allowing left turns and through movements to occur at the same time.

Learn more about continuous flow intersections in this video from the Federal Highway Administration:

Lone Elm and Old 56 Hwy continues to see strong commercial development with additional growth expected. There is a higher than average crash rate with a very high traffic count. The continuous flow intersection will help reduce the likelihood of traffic accidents.

• Straight - Proceed as normal when the signal is green.
• Right - Proceed as normal, turning right when it’s clear and safe to do so.
• Left - Make the turn earlier than normal, before reaching the main intersection. Motorists should follow the signs and road markings to cross over the opposing through lanes at a traffic signal, which is typically 300 to 500 feet before the main intersection. Then, drivers complete the left turn when the light is green.

Drivers turning right from the other direction will have a free-flowing lane and, typically, merge into traffic that has gone straight through the intersection.

How to drive a continuous flow intersection

• The design reduces the number of locations where a crash can occur.
• Unlike most intersections, a continuous flow design works better for intersections that have heavy demand for left-turning traffic.
• Although this design requires that traffic signals be added several hundred feet from the intersection, their added location makes it easy to process a large amount of vehicles. Most motorists stop no more than once going through the intersection.
• Pedestrians will have a median to increase safety when traveling north and southbound.