photo by: Kansas Department of Transportation

This map shows the seven Kansas Department of Transportation construction projects added to the pipeline for the next few years. Gov. Laura Kelly announced the projects during an appearance in Olathe on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023.

Gov. Laura Kelly announced Thursday that seven highway projects totaling more than $350 million have been committed to the construction pipeline in the coming years, including a project in Douglas County to expand the South Lawrence Trafficway to a four-lane freeway.

The governor made the announcement in Olathe as part of her administration’s 10-year, $10 billion Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program. The Douglas County project accounts for an estimated construction cost of $91 million for both the expansion project and the construction of a new Kansas Turnpike Authority interchange.

While the project was included in the transportation plan when it was first announced in 2020, it was only part of a list that the Kansas Department of Transportation planned to pursue within the next 10 years at the time. Now, the project is planned for construction during the 2026 fiscal year.

“When combined with the first two rounds of IKE construction projects, these investments are part of a $2 billion commitment to make our roads safer, reduce congestion, create good jobs and deliver more economic opportunities,” Kelly said Thursday. “Getting these projects to construction will make getting around Kansas safer and easier and will allow the historic economic growth we’ve seen to benefit the entire state.”

The portion of the South Lawrence Trafficway west of Iowa Street is only two lanes, while the eastern leg is a four-lane divided highway.