New bridge construction to close portion of U.S. Highway 281

PORTIS, Kan. (KSNW) — A portion of U.S. Highway 281 will close in Smith County to replace a bridge.

Construction crews will start replacing the bridge over Lindley Creek just north of Portis on April 1. The closure will affect a roughly 17-mile stretch of the highway that connects Portis to nearby Harlan and the county seat of Smith Center.

Northbound traffic will be diverted to US 24 to connect with Kansas Highway 181 highway in Downs to the US-36/281 Junction south of Lebanon. Southbound US 281 can continue south to US 24 to reconnect with US 281.

L&M Contractors of Great Bend is the primary contractor for the $1.9 million project. Work is expected to be completed by October.

You can view current construction projects across the state by visiting KanDrive.gov .

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV.