Olathe is going forward with the $55 million 119th Street “missing link” project without the help of federal grant funds.
The Olathe City Council unanimously authorized the project on Tuesday, officially accepting city staff’s recommendation to forgo nearly $18 million in grant funding from the Federal Rail Administration over concerns that it ultimately would raise the price tag and slow down the timeline.
Federal rules didn’t match Olathe’s 119th St. priorities
Starting the project — which seeks to build out 119th Street where it gaps between Northgate Street and Woodland Road — without the administration funding will also allow the city to keep the at-grade railroad crossing at Woodland Road open, which has been a sticking point for some neighbors.
“Anytime you accept federal funds,” Mayor John Bacon remarked later in the meeting, “there’s always strings attached. Sometimes you get the money and you’re all excited, then you look at the list of strings and you’re thinking maybe this isn’t such a great idea after all.”
But, he said, he hopes there are future chances to partner with the federal government to help support some of Olathe’s projects. For instance, Olathe plans to do large-scale corridor upgrades around Santa Fe Street and Interstate 35 in the near future.
Olathe views 119th St. as an east-west “missing link”
Currently, 119th Street stops at Northgate when traveling west and then picks up again around Woodland, roughly a mile away. The BNSF railroad, Mill Creek and the Gary L. Haller Trail all cause the road to gap.
Fixing the 119th Street break — long considered a top priority for east to west travel in the city — will require Olathe to reconfigure the corridor with a roundabout at Northgate and 119th and another at Northgate and Nelson. Plus, Olathe will need to construct an 850-foot-long bridge over the railroad tracks, trail and creek.
As part of the project, Olathe also intends to improve other intersections along 119th Street, including at Lone Elm Road and Iowa Street.
The city also plans to make upgrades to pedestrian and bicycle access in the corridor, and ultimately provide a connection to the Gary L. Haller Trail.
Work is expected to start later this year and wrap up in late 2026.
Next steps:
- Some of the preconstruction work put on hold during the federal grant process — like land acquisition and permitting with the BNSF — are expected to start back up soon, City Engineer Nate Baldwin said Tuesday.
- Then, the full project will come up for bid this summer.
- Olathe will also have to relocate a water transmission in the area that’s part of its water utility, which will have to wrap up before some of the bridge work can begin, Baldwin said.
Looking back: Project to connect 119th Street in Olathe delayed over federal grant process
