Less than a month after Allen County commissioners opted to contribute more to a cost sharing program with the Kansas Department of Transportation, it seems the strategy is already paying off.
On Tuesday, KDOT announced 22 projects, with Allen County being selected for two. KDOT plans to help on several pavement and patching projects on roads throughout the county damaged from heavy use, as well as a project in Humboldt.
Commissioner Jerry Daniels said the county is still waiting to learn more information about what the projects will entail.
Commissioners had allocated $225,000 of the possible $900,000 they could contribute to the program earlier in the year, but after hearing a report from public works director Mitch Garner, decided to up it to $360,000 at 40%.
Garner told commissioners he thought the more the county could contribute to the program, the greater the likelihood KDOT would favor its projects.
KDOT will give the county $540,000 for patching and overlay on county roads near U.S. 169.
According to A Bolder Humboldt, KDOT will contribute $1.08 million in financial support to the The Last Mile project which will connect downtown Humboldt with the Southwind rail trail north of town by building a shared-use path along North 9th Street, and then east along Hawaii Road.
There were 100 applicants for the program, whose projects total nearly $74 million.
These projects demonstrate communities commitments to improve the quality of life for their citizens and to do so in a practical manner, Gov. Laura Kelly said in a press release. This program also demonstrates the great things that happen when communities and the state work together.
A second round of projects will be announced early next year.
