The Kansas Department of Transportation plans to conduct pavement strength tests in Morton and Stevens Counties beginning Monday, June 13. All testing should be completed by the end of the week.

            The test sections in Morton County include K-27 from Elkhart to the Morton/Stanton county line and K-51from the Kansas/Colorado state line to the U.S. 56 junction near Rolla. In Stevens County, the test section is on U.S. 56 from the K-25 junction to the Stevens/Seward county line.

            The testing crew will be using a pilot car operation to control traffic through the pavement test sections. The Kansas DOT urges drivers to be alert, pay attention to all work zone warning signs, slow down when approaching a work zone and be prepared to stop.

KDOT conducts these pavement tests annually on different highway segments, using a Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD), a device equipped with a series of weights that checks the strength of asphalt pavement.