Three bridges along U.S. 40 in Wallace County are set to be replaced over the next two years.

The Kansas Department of Transportation has started construction on the Union Pacific railroad and Smoky Hill River bridges, which are located approximately 7 and 3 miles east of Sharon Springs, respectively.

Preliminary work began on the Union Pacific bridge in early August. The new structure will be built adjacent to the existing bridge. Traffic will continue to be carried on the current bridge until the new structure is built. Motorists will later be directed on to shoofly detours around each end of the new structure while construction on the tie-ins to U.S. 40 is completed.

Construction on the Smoky Hill River bridge is expected to begin around Sept. 5. Crews will first be building a shoofly detour to carry traffic around the work zone. Upon completion, traffic will be routed on to the detour while demolition and reconstruction take place.

KDOT expects the Union Pacific bridge to be completed in fall 2025 and the Smoky Hill River bridge in fall 2024, conditions permitting.

The third bridge is located approximately 10 miles east of the Colorado border, or 6 miles west of Sharon Springs. Construction will begin in 2024.

Bridges Inc. of Newton is the primary contractor for the projects with a combined contract cost of approximately $28 million. For more information, contact KDOT Area Construction Manager Todd Anderson at 785-953-6011 or todd.anderson@ks.gov.

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This information can be made available in alternative accessible formats upon request. For information about obtaining an alternative format, contact the KDOT Division of Communications, 700 SW Harrison St., 2nd Floor West, Topeka, KS 66603-3745 or phone 785-296-3585 Voice/Hearing Impaired – 711.