It’s one thing to be sent on a detour and lose time and money. But Kansas has really upped the ante for those who ignore the one detour in particular.
An ongoing highway improvement project will cost truck drivers who fail to use the recommended detour $500.
In 2025, the Kansas Department of Transportation began work on a state Highway 156 project in Finney and Hodgeman counties.
This $100 million investment includes paving, widening, improving drainage and bridge replacements to address safety concerns and support regional economic growth, KDOT said.
With work ongoing, the highway remains closed in Hodgeman County, west of Jetmore, Kan.
A detour has been in place throughout the closure, but local officials say some truck drivers have used county roads unable to handle the weight of those trucks instead.
Multiple trucks have gotten stuck due to mud on county roads, and on May 6, a cattle truck overturned.
Nationwide traffic updates are available on this Land Line resources page.
On May 11, the Hodgeman County Commission passed a resolution to ticket truck drivers who fail to utilize the detour.
No warnings will be issued prior to the $500 fine, KSNW-TV reported.
Signs that read “No Commercial Traffic Without Local Destination” were to be installed to alert drivers to the alternate route.
Truck drivers who choose to take county roads instead of the detour will not be given warnings but instead receive a $500 fine. https://t.co/hFMBRnu9xj
— KSN News Wichita (@KSNNews) May 13, 2026
This portion of the Highway 156 project is scheduled to be completed in the fall, according to KDOT.
Truck restrictions in other states
Port Wentworth, Ga., recently announced that truck traffic will be banned from the portion of state Route 25 that runs through the city’s downtown, beginning July 1.
City officials said the goal is to shift the neighborhood from a truck-dominated to a pedestrian-focused environment.
Port Wentworth will phase in the ban, starting with educational outreach and speed limit changes this month. In June, the outreach will continue, and warnings will begin to be issued before full enforcement in July.
“We recognize this shift will require coordination with our trucking and logistics partners, which is why we are taking a thoughtful, phased approach focused on communication and collaboration,” city manager Steve Davis said.
According to the Georgia Department of Transportation, daily truck traffic on Route 25 exceeds 3,500. LL
Read more Land Line coverage of news in Kansas and Georgia.
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