November 4, 2026

The Kansas Department of Transportation will begin replacing a concrete box culvert on K-68 west of Louisburg in Miami County this week as part of the $60 million four-lane expressway project.

The work is expected to begin on Wednesday, Nov. 4, conditions permitting.

A traffic light and signs will guide one-lane traffic through the work zone, which is west of Beaver Creek Road. Motorists can expect delays of up to 10 minutes.

Temporary traffic signal operations will continue at various locations along the project boundaries as construction progresses. Only one temporary signal will be operating at any given time so motorists will only experience a signal once during a single commute.

During the initial setup, the contractor will monitor traffic operations and peak travel times, making necessary signal timing adjustments to accommodate motorists as efficiently as possible and minimize delays. 

Construction during this phase should be completed by the spring of 2028, conditions permitting.

The project is expanding the existing two-lane highway to four lanes separated by a median to improve safety and traffic flow to accommodate growth in Louisburg and area communities. The 6.6-mile project begins near U.S. 169 and ends near the Spring Valley Road west of Louisburg.

Clarkson Construction Co., of Kansas City, Missouri, has the primary contract to rebuild and widen K-68. The work is part of KDOT’s 10-year, $10 billion Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program (IKE).

KDOT urges motorists to stay alert, follow posted signs and refrain from hand-held mobile device use in all active work zones. For current road conditions, visit kandrive.gov or call 511. For updates on construction projects in southeast Kansas, visit ksdot.gov/projects/southeast-kansas-projects.

For more information and project maps, visit the official website here.