TOPEKA (KSNT) – Work crews will be closing a nearly 20-mile stretch of highway in central Kansas soon, creating an almost 70-mile detour route for local drivers.
The Kansas Department of Transportation announced in a social media post on Feb. 25 that K-177 will be closed to traffic due to an upcoming bridge replacement project and reconstruction of the highway in Morris County. The project is scheduled to start on Monday, March 2 and is expected to wrap up in the fall of 2026.
KDOT said the K-177 closure starts where it meets U.S. 56 in Council Grove and extends south for around 19 miles to where K-117 meets U.S. 50, just west of Strong City. The total detour route will be just short of 70 miles in length and will take a little over an hour to complete, according to Google Maps.
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Drivers will be directed to follow the official state detour route that utilizes U.S. 56, U.S. 56/77 and K-150. KDOT uses state highways to build official detour routes to ensure for safe travel and to address weight and maintenance concerns.
- Detour route from Council Grove to Strong City.
- Head west on U.S. 56 to Herington
- Turn south at Herington and take U.S. 56/77 south
- Go east on K-150 to Strong City
- Detour route from Strong City to Council Grove.
- Head west on K-150
- Turn north at U.S. 56/77
- Go east at Herington on U.S. 56 to Council Grove
Bergkamp Construction Co. Inc., based out of Wichita, is the lead contractor for this $9.5 million project. You can keep up with this and other road work projects across Kansas by heading to KanDrive.gov.
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