ANDOVER, KS — Governor Laura Kelly and Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz announces 11 expansion and modernization highway projects — a total investment of more than $520 million — have been committed to construction as part of the Kelly Administration’s bipartisan transportation plan, IKE.

“Expanding and modernizing our highways will improve roadway safety, create good jobs, and deliver more economic opportunities across Kansas, both now and in the future,” Kelly said. “These 11 projects demonstrate that investing in transportation benefits our communities, taxpayers, and businesses.”

Combined with the first round of IKE Construction Pipeline projects, the Kelly Administration to date has committed to construction nearly $1.3 billion for highway modernization and expansion projects.

After hosting a series of local consult meetings in 2019 and 2021, Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) staff worked with community leaders to help identify regional transportation priorities and determine cost-effective ways to deliver them.

Lorenz said KDOT is fully committed to the announced projects and noted the importance of watching inflationary prices and being flexible in scheduling.

“We need to balance the short-term urgency to address as many needs as possible with long-term responsibility of making sure we’re good stewards of taxpayers’ dollars,” Lorenz said. “[This] announcement helps us meet that balance.”

Projects were announced in the City of Andover, where less than four months ago the community was ravaged by an EF-3 tornado. The community stands to benefit from the largest of the announced construction projects, improvements on East Kellogg (U.S. 54/400) from the K-96 interchange east to the 159th Street interchange. The $230-million project was identified as the highest priority project in south central Kansas local consult discussions.

Also selected for the IKE Construction Pipeline is the widening from two lanes to four along a seven-mile stretch of K-10 in Douglas County from north of the K-10/U.S. 40 junction south and east to the K-10/U.S. 59/Iowa Street junction. This $124-million South Lawrence Trafficway project is the first of two construction projects in the area.

Kelly highlighted the balance of urban and rural projects included in the pipeline announcements. Construction projects were also announced in Ellis, Geary, Franklin, Miami, Morris, Osborne, Saline, Sheridan, and Wabaunsee counties.

KDOT has also kept its promise to let to construction one phase of all T-WORKS projects before construction begins on highway improvement projects. Consistent with IKE’s goals of community participation, each community is participating in a cost-share approach for the expansion projects.