By Ryan Duey

In October of 2022, Governor Laura Kelly awarded grants for multiple Transportation Alternatives (TA) programs across Kansas. This program includes the Safe Routes to School program, aimed at making it safer for students to get to and from school.

Junction City was awarded a grant of $389,000 from the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), to improve the sidewalks and intersections on Spring Valley Road, near the new high school and the middle school.

This week it was announced that Kaw Valley was finishing up work on the project design. The next step is for the City to get easements from property owners who live along the sidewalk improvements.

Per the TA program requirements, Junction City will pay 20 percent of the shared cost while KDOT will pay the remaining 80 percent with the grant.