By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
UPDATE 10:30 a.m. Thursday: Kansas Department of Transportation official Kevin Zimmer said slow deterioration led to the closure of the K-147 bridge at Cedar Bluff on Wednesday.
He said there is rust in the bridge deck that does not allow the bridge to move freely.
Zimmer said Kansas has a statewide backlog of bridges that need attention. The bridge replacement will be paid for with state funds. However, Zimmer said KDOT does not yet have cost estimates for the replacement.
Because this bridge has been closed, the bridge replacement will be expedited and is expected to be reconstructed in 2020.
He noted because this bridge is being moved to the front of the list for replacement, another project will probably be moved back as a result.
Zimmer also addressed the detour routes during the bridge’s closure. The official signed-detour will take drivers west on Interstate 70 to U.S. Highway 283 and then south to Kansas Highway 4 to reach the south area of the state park.
Although it will not be marked by official detour signs, local traffic can use local chalk roads off of K-147 to route around the dam and spillway.
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Although the Kansas Department of Transportation closed the bridge over the spillway at Cedar Bluff State Park on Wednesday, Park Ranger Kyle Burgoon said he did not think the closure would seriously affect the operations of the park.
He said Kansas Highway 147 will be closed over the dam and the spillway. However, park goers should be able to route around the closed section of the road to still reach the south side of the park via K-147 using chalk roads. The detour is about 10 miles one way.
The detour would route people east on U Road about 3 miles to 370th Road then south about 4 miles to Y Road and then back west another 2.5 miles to K-147.
The south side of the park can also be accessed via U.S. Highway 283 and Kansas Highway 4.
The road over the entire length of the dam will have to be closed, Burgoon said because there is no turnaround point on the dam.
The park is still expecting about 10,000 people over the Fourth of July holiday next week. All of the camping sites with utilities have been reserved, Burgoon said.
“Really, I would say have patience with it,” he said. “It may take a little bit longer to go from one side to the other, but in the long run, it is for everybody’s safety to basically get a brand-new bridge put in and it will last a lot longer.
“We’re still open. It is not going to affect us. Come on out to the park.”
Sport Haven is a convenience store, bait and marine shop at the north entrance of the Cedar Bluff State Park on K-147.
Sydney Parker, Sport Haven store clerk, said she is being optimistic about how the bridge closure will affect the store’s business. She said she thinks people will be able to route around the closed bridge, visit the business and enjoy the park.
“I know we are going to have a few unhappy campers, but once they spend some time here, it’ll get better,” Parker said.
Burgoon also urged people to not go around the barricades as the bridge at the spillway has been deemed unsafe.
Plans are being developed for an emergency bridge replacement project to be completed in 2020, according to KDOT.
— Cover photo courtesy KDWPT