July 24, 2000 (Release 00-116)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News Contact: Marty Matthews, (785) 296-3585

System Enhancement Projects to be announced

Some have called them the "crown jewels" of Kansas' highway projects. There's no doubt they are among the State Highway System's crowning achievements. "They" are System Enhancement projects that were built during the Comprehensive Highway Program (FY 1990-1997).

Now, the time has come to announce the System Enhancement projects that will be selected for the Comprehensive Transportation Program (FY 2000-2009).

Kansas Secretary of Transportation E. Dean Carlson will host a news conference on Friday, August 4 at 2:30 p.m. in the Kansas Department of Transportation's Basement Conference Room at the Docking State Office Building, 915 SW Harrison St., Topeka.

Projects that have been selected for funding will be announced at this time. A complete list of the projects will be available on KDOT's web site,kdot1.ksdot.org under "Public Information and News Releases," after the conclusion of the news conference.

The System Enhancement Program is one component of the Comprehensive Transportation Program (CTP) that was passed by the 1999 Kansas Legislature and signed into law by Governor Graves in May 1999. The legislation authorizes $1.05 billion dollars for System Enhancement projects, with $50 million earmarked for Wichita's rail grade separation projects. The news conference will announce where the remaining one billion dollars of System Enhancement funds will be spent.