MANHATTAN, Kan. – Good news for K-State football fans – the City of Manhattan has announced that summer-long construction projects on Kimball Avenue are complete and the major gameday roadway will be open Saturday when the Wildcats kickoff the 2019 season against Nicholls at 6 p.m.
Traffic along Kimball has been impacted since spring as the city has worked to complete three different improvements to the roadway. Final pavement marking operations on Kimball between Seth Child Road and Kenmar Avenue were accomplished on Thursday, wrapping up a $1.5 million project that included new stormsewer, new pedestrian crossing improvements at Browning Avenue, a turn lane for Seaton Avenue and a full-depth pavement replacement.
On the west, Kimball is being widened to three lanes with a protected left turn lane in the middle. Phase I of the project from Hudson to Vanesta, which resulted in the closing of Kimball and the rerouting of traffic, was recently finished. Phase II of the project is underway with two-way traffic on Kimball allowed but the intersections at Little Kitten Avenue and Plymouth Road are closed. On the east from the intersection of North Manhattan to Tuttle Creek Boulevard, concrete panel replacement and joint repair on Kimball has been wrapped up and the roadway fully opened.
Fans should note, however, that North Manhattan is closed from Baker’s Way to Research Drive. This project, which is expected to continue into October, reduces the slope of the hill, widens the roadway, adds a 10-foot sidewalk, streetscaping and stormwater infrastructure improvements. A detour route is in place until the roadway reopens.
All parking lots around Bill Snyder Family Stadium open five hours prior to kickoff. Parking in the east and west lots of the stadium is reserved for members of the Ahearn Fund and requires a pass for entry. Paid parking for fans with disabilities is available on a first-come, first-served basis in the east and west stadium lots. To gain entry, guests must display a state-issued accessible license plate or hangtag and present a disability card along with a form of personal identification. All other general public parking is limited to grass parking in Lot 9 east of the stadium, in the paved lot of the Peters Recreation Center, near the Equine Center north and east of the fire station on Denison Avenue or in private satellite lots and parking areas on campus. General public parking fees are $20 for cars.
New this season, K-State Athletics has designated rideshare pickup/dropoff zones for commercial services such as Uber, Lyft, taxis and limousines, on each side of Bill Snyder Family Stadium. These zones are marked by flags in the Gate 3 drive lane of the West lot and in the center (east/west) drive lane of the East lot. Rideshare service drivers may drop off their fares in these zones pregame, then exit the parking lot. At the end of the third quarter, rideshare service drivers may begin staging at these locations to pick up fares postgame. Once stadium traffic has begun exiting the lots until approximately 45 minutes following the game, rideshare providers will not be allowed into the parking lots.
K-State is closing in on a sellout for Saturday, but a limited number of standing-room only tickets remain, while tickets for next Saturday’s home game against Bowling Green are on sale. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.kstatesports.com/tickets, by phone at 1-800-221-CATS or by visiting the main ticket office inside Bramlage Coliseum.