News Releases
Keep up on the latest KTA news by reading our press releases below.
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KTA encourages safe driving with new contest
Oct 8, 2020
WICHITA, Kan. — The Kansas Turnpike Authority encourages drivers of all ages to promote safe driving habits with witty or attention-grabbing safety messages with their new contest. The entry deadline is October 30 at 11:59 p.m. CST.
The contest helps raise awareness about safe driving habits not only for new teen drivers, but also adults. There will be three winners from each age division. The winners from the Youth division, ages 13-17, will have their safety message published in VYPE Kansas magazine and will receive a gift card. The winners from the Adult division, 18 and older, will also receive a gift card. Winners from both divisions will have their safety message featured on DMS boards along the Turnpike.
Entries must follow specific criteria:
- Safety message must promote safe driving habits using themes. Examples: distracted driving; impaired driving; seat belts; speeding; holiday-related safety
- Entries must not exceed a total of 15 characters and spaces per line, with three lines total per entry
- No personal information, websites, or emojis are allowed
- Must be appropriate for the public (would you want your grandma or kids to read it?)
- Multiple entries are accepted; however, participants may only win once
- If there are duplicate/similar entries from different participants, the first submitted entry will be selected
“COVID-19 has caused everyone to rethink our daily lives – from school and work to going to the grocery store,” said Rachel Bell, KTA Director of Business Services & Customer Relations. “Regardless of how you’ve been impacted, KTA still wants you to buckle up, not drive impaired or distracted and to always keep safety as a priority.”
Those interested in the contest can view contest details at www.ksturnpike.com/contests.
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KTA seeks customer input with satisfaction survey
Sep 22, 2020
WICHITA, Kan. — The Kansas Turnpike Authority invites the public to provide feedback on their Turnpike travel experience by participating in their annual Customer Satisfaction Survey. Anyone who uses the Turnpike, whether daily or occasionally, is encouraged to share their thoughts to help KTA prioritize future projects and make internal improvements.
“We’re a customer-driven organization,” said Steve Hewitt, KTA’s CEO. “Customer feedback helps drive our decisions for future projects. Modernization efforts like highway speed electronic lanes came from listening to our customers.”
The survey is open until October 31 at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CSS20NR.
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Public invited to participate in KTA’s safety assessment
May 29, 2020
WICHITA, Kan.— The Kansas Turnpike Authority invites the public to participate in a safety assessment to evaluate and enhance safety on the Turnpike. Anyone who uses the Turnpike, whether daily or occasionally, is encouraged to share their thoughts.
“While KTA’s safety record is good, we continue to strive to do more,” said KTA’s CEO Steve Hewitt. “Input from Turnpike customers will allow us to identify possible safety concerns and better plan and prioritize safety efforts in the future.”
Safety is a long-standing priority of the KTA and is one of the goals in its five-year strategic plan, Driving Change 2025, released earlier this year. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the KTA began this initiative to evaluate and enhance safety on the Turnpike.
The survey, available here or on www.ksturnpike.com, is open until June 30.
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Contract awarded and construction begins on I-70/KTA project
May 4, 2020
TOPEKA, Kan.— The Kansas Turnpike Authority announces KTA contract #7709 has been awarded and construction on I-70/KTA for pavement resurfacing is beginning.
The project includes pavement surfacing between mile markers 183.3 and 197.8, resurfacing the Lecompton Interchange (mile marker 197), and expanding truck parking at the Topeka Service Area (mile marker 188.) Bettis Asphalt & Construction, Inc., Topeka, KS, was awarded this contract in late April for the bid amount of $9,485,442.78. The contract is scheduled for completion in October 2021.
Resurfacing work on I-70/KTA will kick-off the project and take place during daytime hours until traffic volume increases at which time it will revert to overnight work. This phase of construction will continue into June. Drivers should expect single lane closures and uneven pavement during the resurfacing work. Speeds will be reduced to 65 mph in the construction zone.
Following I-70/KTA resurfacing, the Lecompton Interchange pavement will be overlaid at night. Expansion of truck parking at the Topeka Service area, concrete patching and shoulder sealing will be scheduled separately and will continue into 2021.
Drivers are urged to check for traffic impacts at www.KanDrive.org, subscribe to KTA Alerts for roadway incident information http://bit.ly/KHeX6g, follow the Kansas Turnpike on Twitter, and watch for information on KTA’s digital message signs. Construction updates on this and other projects are published monthly in KTA’s electronic newsletter and found on KTA’s construction page. Sign up to receive the newsletter using the form located at the bottom of any page on www.ksturnpike.com.
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Maize student named winner of annual design contest
Apr 21, 2020
WICHITA, Kan.— Cody Harris of Maize South High School is the winner of the Kansas Turnpike Authority’s fifth annual design contest. This contest celebrates National Work Zone Awareness Week and encourages teen drivers to be aware of safe driving behaviors through work zones.
National Work Zone Awareness Week is a safety campaign held each spring highlighting the need for safe, attentive driving through work zones to prevent injuries and fatalities for workers and motorists.
“Teens are in their formative driving years, so creative, engaging ways to instill these habits early is important to us,” said Rachel Bell, KTA’s Director of Business Services & Customer Relations. “Cody did a great job creating a design that also had an important message about work zone safety with it.”
Contestants submitted a ¾ page advertisement focused on work zone safety. Cody’s work will be published in VYPE Magazine and KTA’s monthly newsletter, Turnpike Times. View Cody’s work, as well as the other finalists, at https://bit.ly/2RTle4j.
