BY ANDY TAYLOR
chronicle@taylornews.org

Construction on the U.S. 169 highway realignment project from U.S. 166 north to the Coffeyville Airport Industrial Park is ahead of schedule by more than four months, a Kansas Department of Transportation official reports.

The $44 million highway realignment — which is the largest highway project now underway in the eastern half of Kansas — involves construction of new lanes of U.S. 169 highway from the junction of U.S. 166 north to county road 2800

Priscilla Petersen, a KDOT spokesperson in Chanute, said contractors are scheduled to be completed with the entire project by Nov. 1, 2011. However, a good stretch of dry weather has allowed contract crews to speed up construction, which is now expected to be completed by late July 2011.

About 71 percent of the project is now complete, she said.

More details of this story can be found in the Dec. 9, 2010, edition of the Montgomery County Chronicle. Call (620) 336-2100 or (620) 879-2156 to subscribe.