A project to fill in a key gap in Olathe’s east-to-west 119th Street connection has been delayed by a federal grant process.
The project, when complete, will connect 119th Street between Northgate and Woodland Road, where it currently gaps. Construction was initially expected to begin last year and wrap up this year.
But, because of a potential $18 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration, progress on physical construction has stalled, said Cody Kennedy, Olathe’s chief communications officer, in an email to the Post.
“Currently, we’re waiting to still learn all the requirements which would be necessary for the grant,” Kennedy said, noting that the Olathe City Council also has yet to decide whether to accept the grant funds.
119th Street gap is a “high priority” for Olathe
When traveling west, 119th Street terminates at Northgate Street. That requires motorists to turn to the southwest to use Northgate. Then, about a mile away, 119th Street begins again at Woodland Road.
The gap exists because of a BNSF railroad, Mill Creek and the Gary L. Haller Trail that are all blocking the way, requiring both road reconfiguration and a bridge to cross over those features.
This particular project has been on the city’s to-do list for years. It is considered a “high priority” project in Olathe’s Transportation Master Plan because it will improve connectivity between Interstate 35 and Kansas Highway 7 and aid in traveling west as the city continues to grow that direction.
119th Street connection would overhaul area traffic flow
- In addition to reconfiguring 119th and Northgate with a roundabout and adding a bridge, Olathe also plans to update the intersection at Northgate and Nelson.
- Plus, the city plans to improve intersections along 119th Street at Lone Elm Road, Cherry Lane and Iowa Street, west of the primary work.
- To the east, there is some work planned at the intersection with Sunset Drive as well.
- Other parts of the project will improve pedestrian and bicycle safety in the corridor and provide connection to the trail.
- The initial approved budget for the project was about $40 million, but it is up to almost $50 million in the city’s 2024 capital improvement plan list (Pg. 133).
Olathe residents worry the city will close Woodland
As recently as last week, residents living in the project area have expressed concern about the Federal Railroad Administration’s plan to permanently close an at-grade railroad crossing at Woodland Road after the 119th Street work is complete.
If that’s ultimately part of the Federal Railroad Administration’s terms for sharing the cost of the project, the agency would require the city to close Woodland north of Northgate at the railroad crossing, possibly eliminating a key north-to-south thoroughfare.
Gregory Betzen, who lives off of Woodland Road, told the city council on Jan. 23 that there’s a “lack of trust” between neighbors and the city. He cited an absence of public information about the possibility of closing Woodland in the area throughout the process.
This 119th Street connectivity plan has been in the works for years, and the city approved the project in 2022. However, discussion about Woodland’s closure didn’t begin publicly until grant proposal talks began.
Betzen said a letter that he and other neighbors sent to the city and later the administration that outlined an alternative configuration that would connect 119th Street without closing Woodland.
“We’re simply opposed to closing one of the safest railroad crossings in Olathe just for the sake of money,” he said. “This is not a good way to do a project.”
Next steps:
- The Olathe City Council still has to approve the terms of the agreement with the Federal Railroad Administration, which means there’s still no settled decision about the Woodland crossing.
- That decision is expected some time this year.
- An additional public meeting is also planned some time this year before construction can begin.
- As it stands now, the tentative completion date could be some time in 2026.
Keep reading: ‘Extremely rough’ stretch of 119th Street in Olathe to see repairs
