A large crowd including local dignitaries, legislators and other officials that were part of the 13-year-process of making K-61 a four-lane highway gathered Friday morning on the field just east of Union Valley School for the ribbon cutting ceremony for the official opening of the highway. It was also named for one of the men who helped get this project selected, that being for Hutchinson business owner John Neal who didn’t live long enough to see his efforts come to fruition.

Former Chamber President who was also Senate President at one time was the MC for the event Friday and talked about the project.

He told the crowd that in 1999, the new highway program was passed called the Comprehensive Transportation Program and the system enhancements projects. He says the competition for those dollars was absolutely intense. But, he says thanks to a lot of organization, courage, and cooperation between local units of government, including both counties, the cities of Hutchinson, McPherson and Inman, the four-lane expansion of K-61 was named a winner. He says the highway being four-lane gives our part of the state a safe north-south corridor.

He also talked about John Neal, He says most certainly, “John did leave things better then he found them.” He says it was because of a tremendous amount of dedication that this project was able to move forward. Kerr says, “there probably isn’t anyone mentioned more, and is missed more then John Neal.”

Neal’s widow, Darla Neal says, “it was something that John believed in very dearly because it would help our area.” She adds, “we were so isolated as far as major highways were concerned, so it does mean a lot and the safety is so important.”

There is still some work to be done, including finishing the pedestrian bridge which crosses the highway just south of 30th, and also some landscaping and mowing around the highway which will hopefully be done soon. But, K-61 is more or less complete.

Now, we still have highway construction going on in the Hutchinson area. Phase two of the expansion of a portion of U-S 50 from near what used to be called the Big M Truck stop to Yoder and Airport Roads continues. That includes making that four-lane across the southern edge of Hutchinson. Phase one included expanding the highway to four-lane on the southern edge of South Hutchinson.

Of course the other recent enhancements to highway in the area included making K-96 four-lane from South Hutchinson to Wichita where it connects with I-235. The K-96 highway bypass also came about in that past 10-years. Now called the Bob Dole highway, it is a super two freeway from U-S 50 to west of Wilson Road near Willowbrook. That highway may soon be expanded to north of Sterling in Rice County.