Interstate 35 in Kansas getting nearly $98 million upgrade
More than $90 million will go toward improving Interstate 35 – specifically the Santa Fe Street corridor in Olathe, Kan. – one of the region’s most congested corridors.
The Infrastructure for Rebuilding America grant awarded to the Kansas Department of Transportation will address bottlenecks at two interchanges, replace aging infrastructure and provide multimodal access across both sides of I-35, the Kansas DOT said in a news release.
According to state transportation officials, the crash rate on I-35 surrounding the Santa Fe interchange is more than two-and-a-half times the state average. Of these crashes, nearly half were rear-end crashes at lower rates of speed, the state DOT said.
Today @GovLauraKelly announced the I-35/Santa Fe Corridor Project in Olathe has received $98M through the @USDOT Infrastructure for Rebuilding America grant. This project targets one of the region’s most congested corridors. Learn more here: https://t.co/LukdPhTqQw pic.twitter.com/anHpiXlYRK
— Kansas Department of Transportation (@KDOTHQ) October 22, 2024
“This announcement is a win for Kansas and everyone who travels I-35 through Olathe,” Gov. Laura Kelly said.
Construction on the I-35 and Santa Fe Street corridor between Ridgeview Road and MurLen Road is scheduled to begin in late 2026 with a total project cost of nearly $278 million. The city of Olathe will contribute $40 million, while KDOT will provide $140 million through the Eisenhower Legacy Transportation program.
The Kansas DOT submitted the grant application along with the city of Olathe.
“We are grateful for the support of our partners and for their understanding of just how important this project is to Olathe and to the region,” Olathe Mayor John Bacon said in a statement.
Additional information about the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America program is available online. LL