(KAIR)--Bids have been approved by the Kansas Department of Transportation for state highway construction and maintenance projects, with the local counties of Atchison, Brown, Jackson, and Jefferson to see future improvements.

According to a release from the agency, two projects are now approved, and forthcoming, for Atchison County, including 6.6 miles of milling and overlay work on U.S. Highway 73, from the east city limits of Lancaster north to the Atchison/Brown County Line.
Topeka-based Bettis Asphalt & Construction, Inc., was awarded the near $1.5 million contract for the work.

Also approved for Atchison County is the removal of bridge number 16, on U.S. 73, located just south of the U.S. 73/U.S. 59 junction.
The more than $878,000 bid was awarded to Leavenworth's Julius Kaaz Construction Company Inc.

In Brown County, 8.4 miles of milling and overlay on U.S. 73, from the Atchison/Brown county line west to the east city limits of Horton, is approved for a future start date.
Bettis Asphalt & Construction Inc., of Topeka, is awarded the $1.8 million contract for the project.

Jackson County will see 8 miles of U.S. 75, from the Shawnee/Jackson County line north to 158th Road, milled and overlayed, with Bettis Asphalt awarded that $6.5 million contract.

The same company was awarded contracts for four, forthcoming Jefferson County projects, including 7.7 miles of milling and overlay along U.S. 24, from the Elm Street/U.S. 24 junction, in the City of Perry, east to the Jefferson/Douglas county line. The awarded contract was for $1.9 million.

A contract of $2.7 million was awarded for the milling and overlay of 12 miles of K-92, from the K-92/K-4 junction east to the west city limits of Oskaloosa.

A near $2.2 million contract is awarded to the Topeka company for more than 10 miles of milling and overlay on U.S. 59, from the U.S. 24/U.S. 59 junction, north to the south city limits of Oskaloosa.

The final of the four Jefferson County projects will including milling and overlay of just over a half-mile of U.S. 159, from the K-4/U.S. 159 junction north to the Jefferson/Atchison County Line.
Bettis was awarded the more than $319,000 contract for the work.

The bids were opened by KDOT last month.

Project start times aren't immediately finalized.