"This project truly has the heart of Wichita citizens adorned in the concrete and the beautiful bridges that hold this highway together," said Mayor Carlos Mayans at the ceremony. Mayans went on to say that the West Kellogg project total was $48 million, which was mostly paid for by the 1% sales tax referendum passed in 1985.

Council member Bob Martz addressed the audience and thanked the community, especially those businesses located on West Kellogg for their patience and support during the highway project. He pointed out during his speech that most people incorrectly believe that the busiest intersection in Wichita is Kellogg and Rock Road. Actually, it is Kellogg and Tyler, at the exact location that the ceremony was held. This is because of the tremendous business base located there including Mid-Continent Airport, Cessna and Bombardier. This, combined with the population boom of west Wichita, made this project truly remarkable as it tackled the tough traffic congestion issues that plagued this area.

Sedgwick County Commissioner Tim Winters was present to take part in the festivities and addressed the audience at the event. Sedgwick County contributed $10 million towards the total project. Mayor Carlos Mayans thanked the County for their contribution and called it "a tremendous source of support for this project."

This project completes nearly two-thirds of the original highway plan that was included in the 2030 Long-Range Transportation Plan. That plan highlights making Kellogg, the natural main thoroughfare that runs east and west through the city, a 6-lane freeway for smoother traffic flow, better accessibility and safer travel. Mayor Mayans attributed the highway for Wichita’s recent U.S. Census ranking as the second best city with the lowest commute time.

This project at West Kellogg brings 2.2 new miles of 6-lane freeway to Wichita. It completes an 11-mile stretch of freeway from Edgemoor to 111th Street West. It has over 53 acres of new concrete pavement and nearly 8 miles of underground drainage structures. There are 150,000 square feet of retaining walls and nearly 4 miles of new waterline improvements.

Council member Bob Martz, who is the representative of District 5, the district this construction was completed in, said that he was most proud of the 4 new bridges over Cowskin Creek. Martz’s district is known to have flooding problems. At Cowskin, the bridges were made longer and wider so that the flow could be increased to keep up with the volume and speed that water comes through during big rainstorms.

Mayor Carlos Mayans recognized those key people that did work on the project. That included the following individuals and companies:

• Professional Engineering Consultants, Inc. (PEC), the projects’ primary consultant
• Wildcat Construction, Primary Contractor
• McCluggan VanSickle and Perry, Landscape Architect
• Dan Gegan, local artist that did the unique leaf design of the bridges and retaining walls
• Dondlinger Construction, Bridge Contractor
• Ritchie Paving, Highway Contractor
• Public Works Employees that have worked on this over the years:
• Chris Carrier, Public Works Director
• Steve Lackey, Retired Public Works Director
• Jim Armour, City Engineer
• Mike Lindebak, Retired City Engineer
• Greg Baalman, Special Projects Director
• Carl Gipson, Retired Special Projects Director

The dedication ceremony was held at Mid-American Credit Union, a company that was recognized by Martz for taking the opportunity to expand their business with the arrival of the new highway. Their original 10,000 square-foot location was in the footprint of the freeway. Today MACU has a lovely new 20,000 square-foot facility that better resembles an art museum rather than a banking institution. President of the organization, Jim Holt, said the expansion was needed because the agency was outgrowing their old facility and this was the perfect opportunity to do something grand.

The ceremony ended with a balloon launch that was approved by Mid-Continent Airport’s Air Traffic Control and bird-friendly biodegradable confetti cannons. The Wichita Fire Department blew their sirens in approval of the completed project, which assists in faster response time for their customers that need it. City of Wichita cookies were on hand as a treat. Overall, the short ceremony was a celebration worthy of this monumental project that truly had Wichita’s community spirit present.

The 2001-2010 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) allocates $315 million to construct Kellogg to a 6-lane freeway from K-96/127th Street in east Wichita to 119th Street in west Wichita. This commitment is a testament to the community’s resolve to insure safer travel and strengthen the economic potential of the region. Wichita residents have paid a majority of this amount totally nearly 70% out of local sales tax dollars.

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