Much-anticipated improvements to Olathe’s high-trafficked Santa Fe Street and Interstate 35 corridor now have a tentative timeline attached to them.
The actual construction work — expected to cost roughly $200 million — could start as soon as 2027.
“It’s probably the biggest project we’ve ever had in the city of Olathe,” said city engineer Nate Baldwin.
On Tuesday, the Olathe City Council unanimously approved the Santa Fe Street and I-35 corridor project and authorized an agreement with the Kansas Department of Transportation to help cover a large chunk of the estimated bill.
“We know our residents want and need a faster, safer route through the heart of our city,” Mayor John Bacon said.
What’s planned for Santa Fe, I-35 corridor?
- One of the first pieces of the project is to add auxiliary lanes to I-35 in the two-mile stretch between Santa Fe and 119th Street. That will put an extra lane on both sides of the interstate to cut down on fast-paced merging.
- General corridor improvements are also planned on Santa Fe between Ridgeview Road and Mur-Len.
- At I-35 and Santa Fe, a new single-point urban interchange will be added, which aims to funnel traffic on and off the freeway more quickly than a traditional diamond interchange.
- Plus, in the new corridor layout, Rogers Road will cross under Santa Fe.
- Finally, Olathe plans to add signals to the intersections of Santa Fe with Winchester Street and Lindenwood Drive.
- KDOT intends to cover roughly $160 million of the price tag, about 80% of the total cost.
Federal funds could bring more I-35 corridor improvements
Olathe is also requesting as much as an additional $100 million in federal funding, pending a grant application.
In previous years, Olathe’s application to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Infrastructure for Rebuilding America Grant program for the Santa Fe and I-35 corridor project was denied, but Baldwin was optimistic the city could get some funds this time around.
If that money does come through, he said the project scope would expand to include other capacity upgrades in the corridor.
Those other priorities that could be tied into this project include:
- Improving the corridor entirely between Ridgeview and Mur-Len (the current plan stops short of Mur-Len).
- Expanding the existing Old Highway 56 and I-35 flyover bridge to two lanes to cut down on traffic back up onto Mahaffie Street.
- Repaving I-35 completely between 119th Street and Santa Fe.
During the discussion on Tuesday, councilmembers were broadly supportive of the project and eager to see these long-awaited improvements moving forward.
“I think not only is it going to move traffic,” Mayor Pro Tempore Marge Vogt said, “but I do believe that this is going to help some of the economic development in that whole area, because right now it can’t get through there.”
Still, it’s unclear whether Olathe will receive the federal funds required to realize the full scope of work. And, if the federal government does award a grant for the Santa Fe and I-35 work, it might not be in the full amount requested either, Baldwin said.
Next steps:
- Project design for the Santa Fe and I-35 corridor improvements is underway now and just over halfway done.
- Construction could start in 2027 and wrap up in 2029, but Baldwin said the addition of federal funds would likely delay that timeline.
- Regardless, a lot of the early phase elements — like the significant land acquisition that will be required and utility relocation — may start next year.
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