Governor Laura Kelly Announces Eight Highway Improvement Projects in Eastern Kansas

~Kelly Administration’s Bipartisan Transportation Plan to Improve Accessibility, Safety, and Spur New Business Growth~

TOPEKA – Today, Governor Laura Kelly announced that eight Expansion and Modernization highway projects in eastern Kansas – totaling more than $297 million investments – have been committed to construction as part of the Kelly Administration’s bipartisan transportation plan.

“These eight highway improvement projects will enhance accessibility and road safety to recruit new businesses and families to eastern Kansas,” Governor 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 – and instead use these dollars to directly fix our roads, bridges, and expand broadband access. Today’s announcement is further proof that our commitment to good stewardship of these funds is benefitting our communities, taxpayers, and businesses.”

These are the first IKE highway modernization and expansion projects KDOT is committing to construction. Previously, these projects were in the IKE development pipeline.

The largest project featured at this event is the replacement of Topeka’s Polk-Quincy Viaduct and expanding I-70 to six lanes from MacVicar Avenue to Topeka Boulevard. Work will remove a sharp curve on the viaduct while also making improvements for motorists traveling through or entering the downtown area.

Others include a diverging diamond interchange at U.S. 40/K-10 near Lawrence, sections of K-7 widening and shoulders in Crawford and Bourbon counties and sections of passing lanes on U.S. 400 in Greenwood, Neosho and Cherokee counties.

“This week we are announcing projects totally nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars as part of the Kelly Administration’s transportation plan,” said KDOT Secretary Julie Lorenz. “This significant investment in the state’s transportation infrastructure proves that by listening to Kansans and working with communities, we can complete more projects and identify better ways to deliver them.”

The projects announced today in Topeka are currently scheduled to be let in 2023, except for Polk-Quincy, which will let in 2024.

As promised, one phase of all T-WORKS projects will be let to construction before construction begins on the IKE projects. KDOT will host Local Consult meetings this fall to identify additional regional priorities to be added to the development pipeline and continue working on those projects placed in development in May 2020.

The below photos from the event are available for media use:

https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/LCM_2762.jpg

https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/LCM_2496.jpg

https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/LCM_2491.jpg

https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/LCM_3146.jpg

https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/LCM_3186.jpg