The City of Hutchinson announced the Woodie Seat Freeway is reopening as of Wednesday afternoon.
“The engineering department has received notification from APAC that Phase 1 of the Woodie Seat Freeway Improvements project has been successfully completed,” the official city press release read. “As a result, the traffic control measures have been removed, and the roadway is now open for public use.”
Vice Mayor Stacy Goss said the work was focused on improvements south of Avenue C through the bridge crossing the Arkansas River.
“They did some stabilization repairs, some structural repairs and they removed the medians from the center,” Goss said. “There are parts that were not really repaired since they are the parts that are being demolished.”
The parts being demolished are north of Avenue C, with a new roundabout replacing the current Avenue A exits going east and west.
“The roundabout is part of phase II,” Goss said. “That part is being demolished and then rebuilt at a lower angle to turn into the roundabout.”
Phase II will begin during the 2025 construction season, leaving the freeway open for the rest of this year. It could potentially begin as early as late 2024.
“The City of Hutchinson appreciates the patience and cooperation of residents and commuters during the construction phase and looks forward to continuing to provide updates as Phase 2 progresses,” the press release read.
