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Friday, April 27, 1990 / University Daily Kansan
Coast-to-coast route may traverse Kansas
By Pam Solliner
Kansan staff writer
A proposed coast-to-coast highway through southern Kansas likely would divert traffic from Interstate 70. But Lawrence businessmen said predicting how that would affect the city was premature.
The proposed 2,400-mile road, named Interstate 66, would run between either Washington D.C. or Norfolk, Va., and San Luis Obispo, Calif. It would pass through Wichita.
Lawmakers from Kansas and Missouri and officials of the Interstate 66 Steering Committee have asked for $1.5 million in federal money to help pay for a feasibility study next year.
Reps. Dan Glickman, D-Kan., and Bill Emerson, R-Mo., on Tuesday advocated the request during congressional hearings.
Lonnie Haefner, director of governmental affairs for the steering committee, said the road would cost about $17 billion and could take 20 years to design and build.
"A doubling of national travel demand is expected by the year 2020." Haafner said. "The presence of 1-66 will reduce traffic on I-40 and I-70 by approximately one-third and yield a longer life of useful traffic flow for those facilities."
Liz Zirger, public information officer for the Kansas Department of Transportation, said the department had not reviewed or planned for the interstate's impact on the state highway system because of the infancy of the proposal.
"We are definitely keeping it within our perspectives," she said.
winn our perspectives," she said. Business managers in the I-70 area said that summer, when more vacationers travel the road, was the only time they might be affected by reduced traffic.
Rich Nathan, manager of the Holiday Inn Holdem, 200 McDonald Drive, said that only 25 percent of his customers were I-70 travelers who randomly chose the hotel. If the proposed highway is routed
through major metropolitan areas, he said, it could detract from his reservation business.
Lynn Burton, manager of the Hardes's restaurant near the east Lawrence interchange, said a new interstate would not affect her business because most of her customers were traveling to Topeka to work, going to Kansas City for entertainment or coming to Lawrence for sporting events.
Deborah Barton, manager of the Stop 2 Shop, 1010 N. Third St., said 75 percent of her customers were Lawrence employees from Tongaoxie, Moulth, and Oskaloaas, patrons of area bars and residents of north Lawrence.
Lisa Callahan, director of public relations for the Kansas Turpike Authority, said the new highway probably would not affect 1-70 toll booth revenues.
"At the time this road will have been built, our traffic will have increased," she said. "Our traffic has been continuing to increase every year."
In 1989, the turnip generator generated $36.6 million in revenues. That money is used to buy back the bonds that financed the highway and to pay for road maintenance. Unless the bonds are refinanced or reissued, they will be paid for in 2013.
Jim Boller, legislative assistant to Rep. Jim Slattery, D-Kan., said the congressman supported the highway project although it would be difficult to finance.
Boller said that if the interstate was built, it would greatly benefit the entire state of Kansas even if there was a reduction of I-70 traffic.
Larry Shaiman, press secretary for Sen. Nancy Kassbaum, said Kassbaum supported the feasibility study and the project
Sarah Belden, assistant press secretary for Sen. Bob Dole, he would review the project after it went to the Senate.
The Associated Press contributed information to this story.
You should know:
The rate of extinction of species from this earth was 1 every 4 years from 1600 to 1900.
It's now estimated to be 1000 per year.
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