The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) recently awarded more than $776 million to 24 expansion and modernization highway projects statewide.
KDOT worked with community leaders throughout autumn 2019 to identify regional transportation priorities and cost-effective ways to complete projects.
The projects selected help to enhance safety and relieve congestion.
“Expanding and modernizing our highways will enhance accessibility and road safety to recruit new businesses and families to every Kansas community,” Gov. Laura Kelly said. “Since day one, we’ve honored our commitment to ending the practice of using infrastructure dollars for projects they were never meant for – instead using these dollars to fix our roads, bridges, and expand broadband access. These 24 projects are further proof that good stewardship of these funds is benefitting our communities, taxpayers, and businesses.”
A total of 20 of the 24 projects are in rural areas. Projects will rehabilitate and add shoulders on more than 40 miles of highway; add or extend more than 26 miles of passing lanes on numerous highways, and widen or add shoulders on more than 22 miles on sections of K-7.
Urban projects include a new Polk-Quincy viaduct in Topeka, an express toll lane on U.S. 69 in Overland Park, and a new diverging diamond interchange east of Lawrence, and major improvements to the I-235 North Junction in Wichita.