A READER called the newsroom Friday and she was angry.
She said she had headed to Topeka recently and had left early so she could drive slowly enough to save some gasoline. She went out West Highway 50 to get on the Kansas Turnpike ... and the turnpike wasn’t there! She said she drove around on the west side of town for 20 minutes before she found out how to get to the new turnpike interchange.
She had two complaints:
• The detours for access to the turnpike are poorly marked. The signs need to be bigger and brighter to get motorists’ attention on that busy corridor.
• The Gazette dropped the ball. We should have told people how to get to the new interchange when we announced its opening two weeks ago.
We agree with her first point. Kansas is not the worst state in marking its highways, but it is far from the best. And when it comes to detours, the signs are too often confusing and poorly placed.
As to her second complaint, The Gazette did note on July 3 that, right now, there is no way to get to the turnpike directly from U.S. 50, but the explanation could have been clearer.
We’ll try it again.
Until the connecting roads and roundabouts are built, the only way to get to the turnpike interchange at Emporia is on Interstate 35. Get on I-35 going west at any of the Emporia entrances and keep going west past the Industrial Road interchange and you will get to the turnpike interchange.
I-35 is the only way to get to the turnpike. For now, U.S. 50 will just take you to Strong City and, eventually, California.
Remember, take I-35 to get to the turnpike — it’s the only way to go.
Comments
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Posted by wanderer (anonymous) on July 20, 2008 at 8:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Actually, with the exception of detours, Kansas is one of the BEST states in marking its highways that I've seen. In particular, exits tend to be noted clearly and well in advance of when you need them -- unlike a number of other states I could name (Colorado and Washington, for starters).
That said, very little has been clear about the turnpike detours since the day construction began. So every bit of additional explanation helps.
Posted by neighbor (anonymous) on July 20, 2008 at 11:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"She said she drove around on the west side of town for 20 minutes before she found out how to get to the new turnpike interchange."
Pretty scary to think about her riding around Topeka, IF she is able to find it.
The detours are marked well. If you live in Emporia, and don't know how to take Industrial to I-35 South to get on the Turnpike, how do you make it across town?
The Gazette and KDOT have provided maps of the planned road work, the detours, the closures, and reports of when they opened sections of the new roads.
Posted by jayhawker (anonymous) on July 20, 2008 at 11:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sometimes when we drive on familiar roads we pay little heed to signs. I am as guilty as anyone. Like you, neighbor, I thought that KDOT did a good job of signing the detours and the Gazette ran several stories, complete with diagrams. It sounds like that this lady took her frustrations out on the editor. That's ironic, because most days, the editor is a source of frustration for me.
Posted by gayzettesux (anonymous) on July 21, 2008 at 11:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I just love how the woman thinks it's the Gazette's job to make sure she knows how to get on the turnpike. Did the Gazette teach you how to drive to the grocery store? Did the Gazette teach you how to drive to work? Why don't you stop depending on the newspaper for your driving directions idiot.
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