KDOT pavement tests may delay area traffic slightly

Motorists in Bourbon County could encounter slight delays as the Kansas Department of Transportation pounds the pavement this week.

KDOT crews began conducting fall weight deflectometer (FWD) tests this week on various highways in Bourbon, Neosho and Labette counties, as part of the KDOT Major Modification and Pavement Preservation programs.

Crews will continue through Thursday performing FWD tests on portions of Kansas Highway 39 from the north K-39 and U.S. Highway 59 junction in Neosho County, west to the K-39 and Kansas Highway 7 junction in Bourbon County, a KDOT statement said. The tests help KDOT crews determine which roadways can carry loads and what portions of those roads are deteriorating and in need of repair, KDOT officials said.

FWDs are devices used by civil engineers that are equipped with a series of weights that check the strength of asphalt pavement. The FWD drops a load pulse to the pavement surface that simulates the load produced by a rolling vehicle wheel. The load is produced by dropping a large weight, and transmitted to the pavement through a circular load plate. Deflection sensors then measure the deformation of the pavement in response to the load. Data gathered from the device is then used to determine the stiffness of a pavement structure.

Tests will be run on other highways in the three-county area, including portions of U.S. Highway 59 in Labette County from the Kansas and Oklahoma border north to the U.S. Highway 59 and U.S. Highway 160 junction in Oswego; U.S. Highway 166 through Labette County; and the entire route of Kansas Highway 101 in Labette County, the KDOT statement said.

A pilot car operation will be used for traffic control at the testing sites. Motorists will experience delays of about 15 minutes or less at each section. KDOT urges all drivers to be alert and obey warning signs when approaching and driving through testing zones. For more information about the project, call Southeast District Public Affairs Manager Priscilla Petersen at (877) 550-5368.