By Trish Svoboda
Governor Laura Kelly announced today, July 1, that four Kansas infrastructure projects will receive nearly $45.3 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program. RAISE grants aid in funding road, rail, transit, and port projects across the country, emphasizing sustainability and equity.
One of the projects that received RAISE funding is KDOT’s Canal Route Modernization Study. KDOT received a $1.6 million award to assist in the development of transportation design options, incorporating community feedback, for replacing infrastructure along a 5.5-mile stretch of I-135. This area comprises 53 bridges, including two of Kansas’s largest, two interchanges, and four pedestrian bridges. It serves as a link connecting I-35 and the I-235 bypass, accommodating over 87,000 vehicles daily.
Three recipients of RAISE grants received free technical assistance for their grant applications from the Kansas Infrastructure Hub. Established in 2022, the Hub coordinates various state agencies and acts as a resource center to help Kansas communities optimize funding opportunities under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Recipients of the RAISE grants and assistance from the Hub include:
Countywide Trails Planning and Design: Coffey County, $2,645,000. This project will aid Coffey County in planning and designing about 47 miles of a multi-use trail system within six communities. The trail will provide a safe transportation option for non-motorized and vulnerable users that can provide environmental sustainability and economic benefits through increased tourism.
Road Repair and Rehabilitation Project: Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, $16,021,301. This project will improve approximately 14 miles of roadway within the boundaries of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation and construct approximately 2.5 miles of walking trails. Road improvements will focus on pavement, drainage, adding shoulders, and signage.
Pathways for Progress: City of Topeka, $25,000,000. This project will assist the City of Topeka in constructing about 50 miles of new or improved sidewalks compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The project will improve pedestrian access to daily destinations and local bus routes, fill gaps, and improve deficiencies in the pedestrian network.
