A double fatal crash on K-10 last weekend was the last straw for Eudora Mayor Scott Hopson. He has now written Governor Sam Brownback, demanding that the state install wire cable median barriers along what Hopson calls a dangerous four-lane highway from Lawrence to Interstate 435 in Kansas City. That stretch of road has seen an increased number of so-called "crossover crashes" in recent years. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that state transportation officials evaluated K-10 three years ago, and determined the highway did not qualify for cable median barriers, based on the number of crashes and the width of the existing grass medians.
State transportation officials say they will re-evaluate K-10 next year. But Hopson says that's not fast enough. He's urging those who drive on the highway or live on the K-10 corridor to write to the Governor, as well. A Facebook page has also been created to generate support for the cable median barrier installation proposal. Last Saturday, two Eudora residents...including a five-year-old boy...died when a car crossed a K-10 median and struck a minivan.