Improvements to K-140 between Ellsworth and Salina neared completion this past week as drivers continued to deal with one-lane traffic and pilot cars in places.

As of Friday, workers had three miles in the eastbound lane and six miles in the west-bound lane to finish paving, said Karlton Place, area engineer for the Kansas Department of Transportation.

The construction crew from Shilling Construction worked Saturday with the goal of finishing as soon as Veterans Day.

Place said “low temperatures are not conducive to laying asphalt,” but the goal was to start painting the striping this week.

There have been a few complications during construction, including “a couple of traffic control issues but nothing major,” he added.

In the spring and summer months of 2020, Place said “a traffic study will be done to determine a new higher speed limit from the current 55.”

There is no set date to expect these changes. Once the traffic study is done all the information will be collected and analyzed to determine the new limit. With traffic counts between 1,400 and 2,000 vehicles a day, 10 percent of which is large trucks. The study also will take into account the hills and curves on the old highway.

As a result, Place doesn’t expect the new speed limit to be any higher than 60 miles per hour.

Roger Kraatz, who drives K-140 daily, said he wasn’t a fan of how the entire road was grooved for the project.

“Grooved roads are bad for your tires not to mention I can’t take my motorcycle to work,” he said.

“However; the parts they do have done are very smooth and appear to be done nicely. The main thing I’m looking forward to is the faster speed allowing me to get to work faster. I am grateful for all that were involved in raising the speed limit and to them I’d like to say thank you.”