By Trish Svoboda/Image courtesy of the office of Gov. Laura Kelly

Governor Laura Kelly joined Calvin Reed and local leaders for the ribbon cutting of a new northeast Kansas headquarters for the Kansas Department of Transportation in Topeka.

The new campus will serve KDOT’s operations across 17 counties in northeast Kansas. It includes updated offices, meeting rooms, and maintenance shops with 15 work bays used to repair and maintain highway equipment.

Construction began in fall 2024 on the new building, which replaces the district office that was originally built in 1936 when the agency was known as the Kansas Highway Commission. Although the building had been renovated over the years, officials said it no longer met modern needs.

A study in 2007 found that building a new facility would help improve efficiency and lower long-term maintenance costs. Funding for the $24 million project was included in the governor’s 2023 state budget. Future plans include a District One Materials Lab and a state surplus warehouse.

“Thanks to the support of Governor Kelly and the Kansas Legislature, KDOT’s District 1 now has facilities that support they work they do to keep Kansans moving,” said KDOT Secretary Calvin Reed.