Governor Laura Kelly announced that the Kansas Department of Transportation has secured over $26 million in federal funding to improve rural roads. The funding, awarded through the Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program, will replace 14.8 miles of dirt roads with paved surfaces in Hamilton and Edwards counties. The upgrades will include stormwater management, improved sight distances, and enhanced road shoulders to support the region’s growing dairy industry.

The Dairy Farms and Dirt Roads project, estimated at $33.4 million, aims to strengthen the agricultural supply chain by improving road durability and efficiency. In Edwards County, 8.5 miles of county roads will be upgraded, including O Road between 200th and 210th avenues, along with sections of 180th and 210th avenues.

In Hamilton County, 6.3 miles of dirt roads serving businesses and two dairies—Southwest Plains Dairy and Frontier Dairy—will be paved with concrete. These improvements will enhance transportation access for dairy operations and other businesses in the area. The total federal funding for the project is $26.7 million.