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System Enhancement Projects Announced

August 4, 2000 00-124(a)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News Contact: Marty Matthews, (785) 296-3585

System Enhancement Projects Announced

Calling it another major step forward on Kansas' proud trail of transportation advancements, Kansas Secretary of Transportation E. Dean Carlson today announced the 29 projects that have been selected to receive funding as part of the one-billion-dollar System Enhancement Program.

"The competition for these dollars was intense," Carlson noted. "The Kansas Department of Transportation received about five billion dollars in project requests for this one-billion-dollar pool. These were difficult decisions. Some very good projects were unsuccessful, but the process we used ensures that the 29 selected projects give Kansas taxpayers the most for their money."

The System Enhancement Program is one component of the Comprehensive Transportation Program (CTP) passed by the 1999 Kansas Legislature that Governor Bill Graves signed into law in May 1999. The legislation authorized $1.05 billion for System Enhancements. Fifty million dollars of the System Enhancement funding was earmarked for Wichita's rail grade separation projects. The other one billion was for statewide distribution.

Local governments submitted projects for funding in one of six categories: Rural Corridor, Rural Bypass, Rural Interchange, Urban Corridor, Urban Bypass, and Urban Interchange. Projects were compared only to other projects in their category.

The Economic Development Review Panel, appointed by Governor Graves and chaired by Lt. Governor Gary Sherrer, reviewed and scored each project based on potential economic impact. Each project was also carefully reviewed by KDOT and given a score based on objective engineering factors such as traffic volume, safety, and design. (For more on the scoring and selection process, see the accompanying background information "System Enhancement Story" and "System Enhancement Timeline.")

Construction of these projects is contingent upon funding as provided in HB 2071, the legislation creating the Comprehensive Transportation Program. The selected projects, listed by category, are on the following two pages.

Rural Corridor (10 projects)

• Reno and McPherson Counties- K-61 from Hutchinson to McPherson (Four-lane Freeway)
• Hays- US-183 from I-70 north to 55th Street (Four-lane Expressway)
• Lansing- US-73/K-7 from Gilman Road to Connie Street (Five-Lane Urban Section)
• Garden City- US-50 from Kearny/Finney County Line to US-83 junction (Four-lane Freeway from west of Holcomb to Garden City, with Preliminary Engineering on to county line)
• Atchison- US-59 at the Amelia Earhart Bridge over the Missouri River (Four-lane Bridge replacement with state of Missouri's cooperation)
• Liberal- US-83 from south of Liberal to north of Liberal (Right-of-Way only, as requested)
• Coffeyville- US-169 from County Road 2400 to County Road 2800 (Four-lane Expressway)
• US-400 east of Garden City to Mullinville (Location, Design, and Concept Study)
• US-54/400 from Kingman to Mullinville (Location, Design, and Concept Study and Four-lane Freeway starting east of Kingman to the west as funding permits)
• Coffeyville- US-169 from US-166 junction to County Road 2400 (Four-lane Expressway)

Rural Bypass (4 projects)

• Parsons- North of Town (US-160/400 Bypass)
• El Dorado- Southeast quadrant only (US-54 Bypass)
• Dodge City- Southwest of town (US-400 Bypass)
• Arkansas City- SE quadrant construction and SW quadrant study (US-77/166 Bypass)

Rural Interchange (5 projects)

• Salina- I-135 & Waterwell Road (Construct New Interchange)
• South Hutchinson- K-96 & US-50 (Reconstruct and Upgrade Existing Interchange)
• Newton- US-50 & K-15 (Reconstruct and Upgrade Existing Interchange)
• Jackson County- US-75 & County Road 150 (Construct New Interchange)
• Junction City- I-70 & Chestnut/East Streets (Exit 298) (Reconstruct and Upgrade Existing Interchange)

Urban Corridor (4 projects)

• Kansas City/Wyandotte County- US-24/40 (State Avenue) from K-7 to 118th Street (Five-Lane Urban Section)
• Wichita- US-81 (47th Street) from Broadway Ave. to I-135 (Preliminary Engineering study, as requested)
• Lawrence- US-40 (6th Street) from K-10 to Wakarusa Street (Four-lane divided Urban Section)
• Overland Park- US-69 from 75th Street to 119^th Street (Reconstruction of roadway-partially funded)

Urban Bypass (2 projects)

• Wichita- Northwest Expressway from US-54 to K-96 (Preliminary Engineering and Right-of-Way only, as requested)
• Goddard- US-54 Bypass (Preliminary Engineering and Right-of-Way only, as requested)

Urban Interchange (4 projects)

• Wichita- US-54 (Kellogg) from Sylvan Lane to Mission Road (Construct Woodlawn Interchange)
• Wichita- US-54 (Kellogg) from Mission Road to Heather Street (Construct Rock Road Interchange)
• Overland Park- I-435 & Antioch (Construct New Interchange)
• Lenexa- I-35/US-69 & 87th Street (Reconstruct and Upgrade Existing Interchange)

This page last updated 08/04/00