OLATHE, Kan. — After months of debate, Johnson County leaders could soon take action to limit semi truck traffic on rural roads.
Next week the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) will consider two resolutions aimed at limiting truck traffic on certain roads in the unincorporated portion of the county.
Recently the City of Gardner approved plans to restrict truck traffic on 199th St. within city limits. That accounts for roughly three miles of roadway along 199th St.
“199th [Steet] was built to handle the traffic, but it’s not our decision. The City of Gardner has made it, so this action is in response to, now that that decision is made, we’ve got to do what’s responsible in what’s left as an impact of that decision,” County Manager Penny Postoak Ferguson said.
In response, the county will now consider a resolution prohibiting truck traffic on several rural county roads including:
-Lone Elm Road from 175th St. south to Spring Hill city limits.
-Lone Elm Road from 191st St. south to Spring Hill city limits.
-Hedge Lane from 175th St. south to 207th St.
-Clare Road from 175th St. south to 199th St.
-Clare Road from 207th St. south to 215th St.
-Cedar Niles Road from 183rd St. south to 215th St.
-Moonlight Road from 183rd St. south to 215th St.
-Kill Creek Road from 213th St. south and west to 215th Street.
-Waverly Road from 199th St. south 0.5 miles to Edgerton city limits.
-Waverly Road from 207th St. south to 213th St.
-183rd St. from Moonlight Road east to US 169 Highway.
-191st St. from Gardner Road east to Spring Hill city limits.
-199th St. from Gardner city limits east to Spring Hill city limits.
-207th St. from Corliss Road east to Spring Hill city limits.
-213th St. from Kill Creek Road east to Waverly Road.
-215th St. from Gardner Road east to Spring Hill city limits.
If approved, the Public Works Department will report the prohibited truck routes to local GPS providers to ensure that truck drivers are aware of the change. The traffic restrictions would not apply to farmers moving equipment along the rural roadways.
Public Works Director Brian Pietig said commercial truck traffic originating at Logistics Park Kansas City (LPKC) would not be prohibited from using local roads under the Comprehensive Arterial Road Network Plan (CARNP).
“If a truck at the intermodal wanted to get to U.S. 169, providing a direct, reasonable route for that would be the purpose of 199th Street,” Pietig said.
The City of Gardner will be responsible for enforcing the no truck traffic policy along 199th St. within the city boundaries. If the plan is approved, the sheriff’s department would be responsible for enforcing the policy on the newly designated routes.
The second resolution would prohibit truck traffic in areas where Public Works have deemed the roads to be inappropriate for truck traffic. This proposal would prohibit truck traffic at:
-Four Corners Road from 191st St. south to 199th St.
-Waverly Road from US 56 Highway south to Edgerton city limits.
-167th St. from Clare Road east to Hedge Lane.
“There’s three segments where the roads are either inappropriate or there’s very good reasonable alternatives. Four Corners is next to the park, it’s an unimproved asphalt road. Trucks we measured were taking that a small number [of times] when they have Homestead Road right next to it they should be taking. We think it makes sense to post that for ‘no trucks’,” Pietig said.
Waverly Road is a quarter mile section between 56 Highway and railroad tracks to the north. Pietig said the road is in need of improvements and local truck drivers would still have access through 199th St.
“167th Street next to Olathe that’s developing a lot of warehousing there was a small number of trucks that were headed west. They have reasonable access in other locations, so we are recommending posting those for ‘no truck’,” Pietig said. “I do expect as those are improved, as areas are developed that that will probably change, but that’s in the future.”
The BOCC is scheduled to vote on both resolutions to limit truck traffic on Thursday, Dec. 8.
