U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-3rd Dist., has released a new report examining the status and safety of roads in the 3rd District.
Her office’s “State of our Systems” series details the most pressing infrastructure needs in the district and how Rep. Davids is working to bring federal funds to those projects — including through the new bipartisan infrastructure law, which she helped lead into passage. Key findings include:
• At current funding levels, most streets in Kansas City, Kansas, will be in a state of poor or failed condition by 2031.
• Driving on deteriorated roads costs Kansas motorists $1.1 billion a year – $509 per driver – in the form of repairs, vehicle depreciation, and increased fuel consumption.
• The bipartisan infrastructure law’s investments in Kansas roads and transit systems will add $625 million in state gross domestic product each year.
• By 2050, the US 69-167th Street interchange—which is advancing due to the federal funding available from the new law—is expected to see a 450% increase in daily vehicle traffic.
Rep. Davids announced that the bipartisan infrastructure law has allocated $500 million to Kansas for federal-aid highway programs in 2022.
Over five years, Kansas will receive an estimated $2.8 billion in federal highway and bridge funding, $28 million for highway safety traffic programs to help reduce deaths and injuries from motor vehicle-related crashes, and $63 million to help reduce transportation-related emissions.
These funds will allow the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) to address transportation needs identified through local consultation meetings sooner than they otherwise would have, bringing direct investment into communities for the projects they have been asking for—like modernizing one of the most congested stretches on I-35 between old US-56 and 119th Street, or expanding the US 69-167th St interchange to create a critical lifeline for emergency vehicles and patients visiting the new AdventHealth South Overland Park facility.
Another example detailed in Davids’ report is the 18th Street reconstruction in Wyandotte County, which would improve pedestrian, bike, and vehicle infrastructure for a greenway across the county. Both the I-35 project and the US69/167th St interchange have been advanced by KDOT due to the federal investment from the bipartisan infrastructure law.
“The bipartisan infrastructure law will do more for our roads than just fix potholes—it will save lives by making them safer, reduce transportation costs for people and goods, create good-paying jobs, and spur innovation and long-term economic growth in the Kansas Third,” Rep. Davids said. “My office’s latest report details a few of the projects and most pressing needs that we will work to tackle with help from the new federal funding.”
“Highways are more than just concrete and asphalt — they connect people, resources, and opportunities. This new report makes clear we need to be investing in these vital structures, so we can continue to foster critical connections,” said Kansas Department of Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz. “That’s why I was pleased to announce earlier this week that through IKE and the new federal funds, KDOT is advancing $750 million in transportation improvements into the development pipeline, including $360 million for the Kansas City area.”
“We are very appreciative of the work Representative Davids and Secretary Lorenz are doing,” Unified Government Mayor-CEO Tyrone Garner said. “The bipartisan infrastructure law will help Kansas City, Kansas, and Wyandotte County make important investments both in our infrastructure and in historically disinvested areas in truly meaningful ways.”
The full “State of our Systems: Roads” report can be accessed at https://davids.house.gov/sites/davids.house.gov/files/The%20State%20of%20our%20Systems%20Roads-compressed.pdf. The previous report, “State of our Systems: Water,” can be accessed at https://davids.house.gov/sites/davids.house.gov/files/The%20State%20of%20our%20Systems%20Water%20%285%29_compressed.pdf.
The “State of our Systems: Bridges,” can be accessed at https://davids.house.gov/sites/davids.house.gov/files/The%20State%20of%20our%20Systems%20Bridges_October%202021_compressed%20%282%29.pdf.