The Kansas Department of Transportation has been awarded a nearly $98 million federal grant to improve the congested I-35 and Santa Fe Street Corridor in Olathe, Kansas, Gov. Laura Kelly said this week.
Awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant is funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. It would fund updates to the I-35 Santa Fe Forward project that aims to eliminate bottlenecks at Santa Fe Street and Old Highway 56, as well as address access management issues, replace aging infrastructure and provide multimodal access across I-35 to connect communities on both sides of the interstate.
“This announcement is a win for Kansas and everyone who travels I-35 through Olathe,” Gov. Kelly said. “This project represents my administration’s work to modernize and strengthen the infrastructure and transportation links that support commerce and economic growth across the state.”
Currently, officials said, the Santa Fe interchange on I-35 has a crash rate nearly two and a half times the state’s average, with nearly half of those being rear-end crashes at lower rates of speed. INFRA grants support multimodal freight and highway projects of national or regional significance that will improve transportation safety, efficiency and reliability.
“We are grateful to our federal and local partners who have been working with KDOT to move this project forward,” Secretary of Transportation Calvin Reed said. “With this funding, we can tackle important infrastructure improvements that will enhance efficiency and connectivity, providing smoother travel for residents and businesses across the region.”
Construction on the project is expected to begin in 2026, at a cost of nearly $278 million. The city of Olathe is contributing $40 million, while KDOT will contribute $140 million.