K-383 final modernization phase remains in KDOT pipeline as Norton work advances toward 2027 construction

A June 23, 2026 Kansas Department of Transportation program amendment keeps the Norton County portion of the remaining K-383 modernization programmed for a 2027 construction obligation, while right-of-way remains scheduled for federal fiscal year 2026.

For Norton, the update concerns project KA-2371-03, a 4.5-mile, two-lane roadway reconstruction segment running from Bridge 062 over Prairie Dog Creek east of Almena to the Norton/Phillips County line. KDOT lists a revised total project estimate of $21.462 million. The STIP states that dollar amounts are listed in thousands and may be rounded, so the figure is an estimate rather than a final project cost.

What the July 2026 STIP says

KDOT’s July 2026 State Transportation Improvement Program amendment lists the Norton project’s right-of-way obligation in FFY2026. Construction and construction engineering are listed for FFY2027.

For federally funded work, an obligation year identifies when a work phase is anticipated to be obligated with the Federal Highway Administration. It is not, by itself, a completion date or proof that the work phase has finished.

The STIP therefore keeps the Norton segment in the state’s funding and project pipeline, but the record does not establish that right-of-way acquisition is complete, construction has begun or a contract has been awarded.

Norton, Kansas, is the county seat of Norton County and is served by U.S. Highways 36 and 283 and K-383. KDOT, rather than the city, is the controlling source for the state highway project’s schedule and scope.

The adjoining Phillips County work is separate

The remaining K-383 modernization also includes a separate Phillips County project, KA-2372-02. That project covers 9.5 miles from the Norton/Phillips County line northeast to Bridge 051 over Prairie Dog Creek.

KDOT’s July amendment lists right-of-way and utilities obligations for the Phillips County project in FFY2026, followed by construction in FFY2027. Its revised total project estimate is $26.639 million.

The two STIP estimates total approximately $48.101 million when added together. That is not a formally stated combined project total, however. KDOT’s February 2026 IKE pipeline document lists the combined Norton-Phillips final phase as scheduled for FY2027 with an estimated $53 million construction cost. The figures come from separate records with different estimate categories and rounding.

Why the schedule remains a target

In a September 18, 2025 schedule notice, KDOT said the final phase was expected to be let for construction in December 2026, with work occurring during the 2027 and 2028 construction seasons.

KDOT said the schedule change allowed additional time to complete right-of-way acquisition for several properties. The agency said utility relocations could be completed after that acquisition process and would be needed before construction begins.

The December 2026 letting remains an expected schedule target in the available records, not a confirmed completed event. The records reviewed for this article do not establish that acquisition is complete, utilities have been relocated, the letting has occurred or a construction contract has been awarded.

What Norton-area travelers should watch for

For Norton-area commuters, freight operators, agricultural traffic and businesses, the remaining corridor work is still in the preparation and programming stages described by KDOT. If the project advances to right-of-way, utility and construction activity, later notices could affect travel through work zones or other traffic-management measures.

No current record reviewed for this article confirms a specific detour, closure pattern or delay. Norton-area residents and highway users should watch for a future KDOT letting notice, right-of-way or utility updates and construction traffic advisories.

Sources

• Kansas STIP July Amendment, as of June 23, 2026
• City of Norton community information