Congress to allocate $2 million for US 69 expansion

The United States Senate and House of Representatives passed legislation Monday morning to fund the United States Departments of Transportation and other agencies. Included in the legislation are two earmarks which would provide a total of $2 million dollars for the designing and construction of the expansion of U.S. Hwy 69 from Fort Scott through Cherokee County.

"To have that money funded to us means that there is more of a chance that the priority 69 highway is moving up," Sen. Bob Marshall, R-Fort Scott, said after hearing of the allocations.

According to Kansas Department of Transportation Public Involvement Liaison Priscilla Peterson, the legislation will allocate $500,000 toward the corridor studies of U.S. Hwy 69 in Bourbon and Crawford counties, which was introduced by Jenkins. According to Jenkins' office, the funding will be used to complete planning and design, as well as environmental assessments and preliminary engineering work that is necessary for construction to continue to expand Highway 69 to a four-lane divided highway.

"What these federal funds do is allow KDOT to continue the planning and design for the eventual construction of the four lane that would extend from Fort Scott southward," Highway 69 Association of Kansas Executive Director Jim Aubuchon said.

The second allocation, introduced by Brownback, would provide $1.5 million for the "construction of four-lane highway on U.S. 69 in Crawford, Bourbon, and Cherokee counties," according of Perterson.

"I was pleased to work with my colleagues to secure the initial funding last year and I'm proud to continue funding with an additional $1.5 million this year," Brownback said. "We are blessed to have great roads in Kansas and funding these projects will help us maintain our infrastructure for years to come."

Although money has been allocated, Aubuchon believes that construction of the expansion remains in the distance.

"I think we are still a ways from actually starting construction," Aubuchon said.

The beginning of construction depends on two things, according to Aubuchon. The first being the possibility of additional federal stimulus funding. The second, and more likely, being the ability of the Kansas legislature to pass a new comprehensive transportation program, a plan which he said Marshall, who serves as the Vice-Chairman of the Kansas Senate Transportation Committee, will play a large part in developing.

"It will be in that plan that there will be construction dollars for KDOT to actually work with," Aubuchon said. "That piece is up to the Kansas legislature."

Marshall said the allocations are part of the Federal Fiscal Appropriations Act of 2010. He said there is no matching funds by KDOT and there is no time limit on spending the money. Peterson added, that KDOT did not make an allocation requests for 2010.

"These would have been submitted by local people," Peterson said.

Jenkins and Brownback both agree that the expansion of U.S. Hwy 69 is vital to the growth of Southeast Kansas.

"The full upgrade to Highway 69 will speed the flow of goods and services to an area of Kansas that has been overlooked for far too long," Jenkins said. "The federal government has an important responsibility to maintain our nation's infrastructure, and this project will improve safety for all travelers and increase business investment in Southeast Kansas."

Brownback added, "Widening US Highway 69 is a critical infrastructure upgrade that is much needed in Southeast Kansas."

Marshall said the legislation has been passed through congress and is now on it's way to the desk of President Barack Obama to be signed.