Olathe and the Kansas Department of Transportation will team up to improve a stretch of Quivira Road that runs briefly through the southeastern corner of the city.
Earlier this month, the Olathe City Council voted 6-0 to accept the federal Surface Transportation Block Grant funds from KDOT for the project. Councilmember LeEtta Felter was absent during that meeting.
The agreement for the funds was listed on the city council’s consent agenda, which means it wasn’t individually discussed before it was approved alongside a series of other procedural items.
The project, which is still a couple of years away from seeing any construction, seeks to improve Quivira Road from 143rd Street to 151st Street, near the Johnson County Executive Airport. This area is in the easternmost part of the city; most of Olathe’s east border sits on Pflumm Road.
What’s the plan for Quivira Road?
- According to city documents, the Quivira work “is needed to address safety and capacity concerns” in this part of the city.
- Currently, the road is a two-lane road that is unimproved.
- After the project, it will still be a two-lane road, but it will have more capacity for traffic with additional turning lanes.
- Olathe also intends to add curbs and gutters, a sidewalk, bike lanes and new streetlights to this stretch of the road.
- North of 143rd Street and south of 151st Street, Quivira Road is in Overland Park.
Olathe’s Quivira project to cost $17M
- KDOT is kicking in no more than about $3.6 million for the project.
- Olathe is expected to finance the rest using nearly $14 million in general obligation bonds.
Next steps:
- Design, land acquisition and utility relocation for the Quivira Road project is expected to wrap up next year.
- Then, physical construction for the road improvements is anticipated for 2026.
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