Sedgwick County Commissioners have approved a letter to be sent to state transportation officials to ask for a new, updated study on the proposed Northwest Bypass. The highway would connect Highway 54 at Goddard with K-96 at Maize.
County Commission Chairman Ryan Baty said state transportation secretary Calvin Reed met with county officials recently and indicated that he would favor a study. Reed asked for letters of support from the county and the cities and towns that would be impacted by the project.
A previous study was completed in 1997 and the letter being sent to Reed states, “A new study could guide future decisions regarding the project and reset expectations for all
stakeholders. Enough time has passed that stakeholders need to know if the original plan is still the best option and when construction makes the most sense.” The letter goes on to say that “The proposed expressway will serve as a link for the cities of Wichita, Maize, Goddard and beyond, and it will offer freight and commuter traffic an alternative to the congested Kellogg route through the City of Wichita. We expect that the MIS (Major Investment Study) will show big benefits to the transportation network in future years.”
The cities of Maize and Goddard and the Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization have also sent letters to the Kansas Department of Transportation expressing support for the new study.
Sedgwick County has set aside $100,000 in the 2025 budget to help fund the study.
