WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE)- Every single day around 50,000 people use K-96 to get around Wichita and right now traffic can get really backed up as people get on and off of the highway. 

Wednesday afternoon a long line of cars formed at K-96 and Woodlawn at the traffic stop as people waited to turn onto the highway. KDOT says as one of the city's most used highways it can get pretty congested and by 2050 it estimates 100,000 people will use K-96 every day. That's why it's coming up with plans to make traffic on K-96 more efficient.

"We want to make these interchanges safer. We want to improve the road and make sure it can accommodate an increasing capacity of drivers," said a spokesperson for KDOT, J.B. Wilson when explaining why KDOT is planning this.

He says one improvement the department is looking at doing is building five diverging diamond intersections as entrance ramps onto the highway. He says places like Kansas City already have these and it's been proven to make traffic move more effectively. This will be the first one in Wichita.

 

Picture of what the diverging diamond intersection will look like
Picture of what the diverging diamond intersection will look like U.S. Department of Transportation

 

"It will improve how a car gets on the highway where it's not idled as much and it has more time to catch up with traffic," he said when explaining how it will work. He adds this will also make it safer to bicyclists and pedestrians because there will be designated lanes for them.

Wilson says the diverging diamond intersections are only one part of the plan. KDOT has been listening to public feedback for the last year and it wants to do everything it can to make the best freeway system possible.

"We're adding 4-6 lanes where K-96 meets U.S. 54 so this is going to help and improve future it for future generations of motorists," he said.

The construction isn't slated to begin until 2027 but KDOT is already working with several agencies to come up with preliminary designs.

April 11th is hosting an open house where members of the public can see the designs, talk with engineers, and ask questions. The open house will be at 5 p.m. at the Eugene M. Metropolitan complex.