July 22, 2026

The Kansas Department of Transportation has accepted a nearly $60 million bid for the expansion of more than 6 miles of K-68 in Miami County to a four-lane expressway.

Clarkson Construction Co., of Kansas City, Missouri, will rebuild and widen 6.6 miles of K-68 from U.S. 169 to the Spring Valley Road west of Louisburg. A previous project expanded K-68 to four lanes from near Spring Valley Road into Louisburg.

In the project, the existing two-lane highway will be expanded to four lanes separated by a median to improve safety, traffic flow and accommodate growth in Louisburg and other area communities.

Other improvements:

Adding twin bridges over North Wea Creek about 3 miles east of U.S. 169. This would replace a two-lane bridge built in 1968.

Adding turn lanes.

Adding access roads off Woodland, Block, Oak Grove, Somerset, Beaver Creek and New Lancaster roads.

Adding crossroad culverts along the route.

Construction is expected to take up to two years, and the project is part of KDOT’s Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program (IKE), a 10-year, $10 billion program focused on preserving, modernizing and expanding Kansas’ transportation system. KDOT will provide updates regarding specific construction schedules and anticipated traffic impacts as the project start date approaches.

For more information and project maps, visit the official website at https://www.ksdot.gov/projects/southeast-kansas-projects/k-68-expansion-in-miami-county#!/.