Highway 400 markings

[D Whetstone]

Last night, at about 9:15 p.m., two cars collided head on about 6 miles east of Leon. You can read more about it at kansas.com.

Essentially, one car was passing two others going west when he met another car coming east.

I have thought for a long time that this highway is not correctly marked for safe passing between Beaumont and Leon. So, for people who do not drive this highway often, I think they can get lured in to making unsafe passes.

I drive this stretch of highway 3-4 times every week.

Can others comment on your opinion about this? Am I too conservative?  Is it possible to campaign to the State to get this highway remarked?

Thanks,

David

[W. Gray]

No, I do not think you are.

I make it a point not to pass on this highway unless someone is going 55mph or less.

In fact, "everyone" goes over the 65mph speed limit anyway. I set my speed control to 65mph and cars usually back up behind me. I usually make my final run to Elk County about the time people are going home, so I guess they are in a hurry to get there.

But, it was a lot worse before they put the new pavement in.

[Mom70x7]

I agree - I don't like the passing zone markings on that stretch of road.

I'm saddened, but not surprised by the accident.

I'm usually a conservative driver. I don't like to pass. Always thought it was a combination of my poor depth perception and the fact that the gas-saving cars of the past aren't known for their "oomph" for passing.

When I'm driving and Jim or the kids were with me, they'd tell me when it was safe to pass. Otherwise, I'd slow down, sit back and mosey along.

[W. Gray]

According to the Wichita Eagle, one of the drivers was not wearing a seat belt.

[flintauqua]

Check out what Missouri is doing with a similar stretch of highway between Camdenton (near lake of the Ozarks) and Lebanon (on I44).

http://www.modot.mo.gov/central/major_projects/documents/Cam-Lacledeshared4-lane.pdf

(Yes, it looks like it's upside down, just scroll down a little bit.)

Since it will be decades before they build the other two lanes of 400, maybe KDOT could use stretches of 400 as a test of the aforementioned idea in Kansas.

Charles

[W. Gray]

Here is a post I put on about a year ago related to US 400. I sent an Email to KDOT asking about this project but never received a reply.


The U.S. 400 right of way is [was?] intended as a forerunner for I-66 (No relation to route 66).

I-66 was originally intended to be a transcontinental roadway from Washington DC to California via Wichita.

The road west of Wichita has been canceled but is still alive, barely, from Virginia to Wichita.

I-66 is supposed to enter Missouri from Kentucky headed for Cape Girardeau and then head for a concurrent run with I-44 in Missouri.

At Joplin I-66 will leave along the US 400 corridor headed for Wichita.

I-66 currently terminates in Virginia but is planned to go to Kentucky. Nothing is going on in Virginia but Kentucky is actively working on their portion that will get the road to Missouri.

When the Howard population gets to around 500, residents might have an Interstate only twelve miles away.

[greatguns]

I believe that accident was more like 3 or 4 miles east of Leon.   As I drive it every day, I truely am not sure there is anything that will help the problem on 400.  Most do drive 70mph or faster, unless the wind is blowing and you are pulling your 5th wheel and boat, then you might be running about 55 to 60mph.  If you are from rural america and on yur way home from your monthly trip to the city, you probally driving between 45 and 50mph.  Today when I came home from work I saw that the state was putting up a caution light for the school zone and it was posted 45mph.

[greatguns]

The school zone is 20on the street in front of the school.  They just have highway traffic slow down to 45 so you can look at the responsible 14 year olds that are pulling on US 400 highway.

[flintauqua]

I presume we're talking about Leon, the most notorious speed trap east of Wichita!

This will make it easier on the Leon cops.  The caution light will get some to slowdown, therfore less tickets written.  However, tickets are double or triple in school zones, so they may actually bring more into the city coffers by writing fewer tickets. 

[Mom70x7]

So is Leon 45 now, instead of 50?

Or is that just a school-zone marking? With new caution lights?