Great Bend residents found the route on 8th Street, between McKinley Street and Grant Street, convenient to connect trips between Dillons and Walmart. The street had barricades blocking entrances because vehicles were tearing up the unfinished road next to the Reserves of Trail Ridge Apartment Complex.
The issue of completing and fully paving the road resurfaced with the upcoming Geometric Improvement Grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation to widen the 10th Street and Grant Street intersection.
Josh Golka, with Professional Engineering Consultants (PEC), says paving the 8th Street connection would make sense to Walmart for a detour during the road construction for the intersection project.
Josh Golka Audio
The 8th Street improvements will be completed this year to help alleviate traffic and the access issue to Walmart during the Geometric Improvement Project next spring. Great Bend City Administrator Howard Partington traveled to Bentonville, Arkansas in June to discuss the improvements with Walmart officials at their headquarters.
With Walmart signing a petition for the improvements, the cost of the project would fall upon Walmart. Great Bend agreed to have PEC design and handle the construction work on 8th Street from McKinley to Grant Streets with a cost of $47,500 for the design work, and $7,500 plus reimbursables for the construction phase.