(KNZA)--The second phase of the U.S. Highway 75 reconstruction project will begin Tuesday, and will affect a five-mile section from Sabetha to the Kansas/Nebraska state line in Brown and Nemaha Counties. 

Motorists traveling the route should expect delays, sometimes up to 15 minutes, for nearly two months while the project is completed.   Using alternate routes, if possible, is encouraged. 

Topeka based Koss Construction serves as the primary contractor for the reconstruction which carries a price tag of nearly 8-million-dollars.

The overall construction work is expected to be completed in November, weather permitting. 

Work will include culvert box and pipe extensions, shoulder reconstruction, bridge replacement and concrete surfacing of mainline lanes and shoulders. 

Work will take place during daylight hours, Monday through Friday, although some Saturday work can be expected. 

Travel will be affected in various ways depending on what work is scheduled when. 

We have the detailed outline of the project posted with this story at mscnews.net. 

From the Kansas Department of Transportation: 

For phase two work, crews will mill away 9-inches of the shoulders and 3-inches of the existing mainline asphalt and replace it with 4-inches of new concrete and new 7-foot paved concrete shoulders.

Beginning on Tuesday, March 12, for approximately two weeks, crews will mill away 9-inches of the existing shoulders. Traffic will be directed via cones and signage through the project work zone. Once the shoulder milling is completed, for the next two weeks, crews will then mill away 3-inches on the mainline lanes. Traffic will be directed through the project work zone via a flagger and pilot car operation. Drivers should expect delays of up to 15 minutes maximum and are encouraged to use alternate routes, if possible.

Upon completion of all milling, crews will then begin paving operations on the mainline lanes and shoulders. The paving work is scheduled to take approximately one month to complete. When paving work begins, traffic will be directed through the project work zone via a 24/7 round the clock, pilot car and flagger operation. Drivers should expect delays of up to 15 minutes maximum and are encouraged to use alternate routes, if possible.

There will be a posted speed limit of 55 mph and an 11-foot lane width restriction through all project work zones during working hours. No oversized or supersized loads will be allowed through the project work zone. The additional traffic impacts for the project work described above will be provided in advance under separate notification.

Phase one project work began on July 9, 2012, with crews completing work on the culvert box and pipe extensions, construction of the shoofly, and grading for the new extended shoulders. Included in this project is the replacement of the U.S. 75 Bridge over Rock Creek near the Kansas/Nebraska state line. Crews will replace the existing 26-foot wide reinforced concrete girder structure with a 44-foot wide (two 12-lanes with 10-foot shoulders) reinforced concrete slab structure. While the new bridge is being constructed, traffic will detour via a shoofly that will be constructed by this fall. Once the shoofly detour is completed and traffic is shifted onto it, the existing bridge will be demolished.

This modernization project is funded by T-WORKS, the transportation program passed by the Kansas Legislature in May 2010.