Olathe’s capital improvement plan for the next five years has started to take shape.
As part of the city’s 2025 budget approval process, the Olathe City Council has also commenced its annual review of its capital improvement plan for 2025 to 2029.
The list includes millions in expected work on new projects, rehabilitations and other major improvements in Olathe.
The preliminary plan — valued at roughly $541 million overall — includes the much anticipated overhaul of the Santa Fe and Interstate 35 interchange, a new animal shelter, projects on 119th Street and a planned firehouse reconstruction.
Read the full CIP, as well as the city’s budget proposal, here.
Here’s a closer look at the plan’s projects:
Firehouse No. 9
- Cost: $15.2 million
- Location: College Boulevard and Woodland Road
- Year: 2026
- Description: Constructing a new firehouse in this highly residential and still growing area of the city.
New animal shelter
- Cost: $15 million
- Location: TBD
- Year: 2027
- Description: Building a roughly 20,000-square-foot animal shelter to replace the existing facility that city documents say is “woefully undersized, outdated, and in need of significant repairs.”
Santa Fe Street and I-35 Interchange
- Cost: $199.2 million
- Location: Santa Fe Street between Ridgeview Road and Mur-Len Road
- Year: 2027
- Description: Adding auxiliary lanes to I-35 between Santa Fe and 119th Street, improving Santa Fe and constructing a new single-point urban interchange at I-35 among other work.
Replacing Firehouse No. 1
- Cost: $26.9 million
- Location: Near Old Highway 56 and Harrison Street
- Year: 2027
- Description: Rebuilding the 1983 Firehouse No. 1 on the existing Olathe Public Safety Campus where the current animal shelter is located due to age and growing need for an expanded fire service in this area.
119th Street Northgate improvements
- Cost: $55.7 million
- Location: 119th Street between Northgate and Woodland Road
- Year: 2026
- Description: Build out 119th Street where it there is a gap between Northgate Street and Woodland Road, including reconfigurations, a roundabout and a bridge.
Black Bob Road improvements
- Cost: $15 million
- Location: Black Bob Road between 153rd Terrace and 159th Street
- Year: 2027
- Description: Improving a stretch of Black Bob Road to be a four-lane road and adding sidewalks and street lights.
Cedar Lake Dam restoration
- Cost: $6.6 million
- Location: 15500 S Lone Elm Rd.
- Year: 2025
- Description: Replacing the old spillway area while restoring and raising the outdated dam.
Downtown Post Office relocation
- Cost: $8 million
- Location: 110 N Chestnut St.
- Year: 2025
- Description: Relocating the U.S. Post Office in downtown Olathe to make way for continued efforts to reimagine the area.
Quivira Road improvements
- Cost: $16.3 million
- Location: Quivira Road from 143rd Street to 151st Street
- Year: 2027
- Description: Upgrading the small slice of Quivira that is in Olathe’s southeastern corner to have more capacity for traffic with additional turning lanes, bike lanes and sidewalks.
159th Street improvements
- Cost: $20.4 million
- Location: 159th Street from Mur-Len Road and Black Bob Road
- Year: 2028
- Description: Making part of 159th Street into a four-lane road with additional turn lanes and a new traffic signal at Brougham Street.
New police firing range
- Cost: $13.2 million
- Location: 167th Street and I-35
- Year: 2027
- Description: Building a replacement firing range for police training to meet modern health, safety and space needs.
Harold Street improvements
- Cost: $7.6 million
- Location: Harold Street between Ridgeview Road and Kansas City Road
- Year: 2028
- Description: Making Harold into a three-lane road with sidewalks.
Lone Elm Road improvements (north)
- Cost: $15.9 million
- Location: Lone Elm Road between 119th Street and Harold Street
- Year: 2028
- Description: Improving Lone Elm Road into a three-lane road with sidewalks and new traffic signals as needed.
Lone Elm Road improvements (south)
- Cost: $16.3 million
- Location: Lone Elm Road between 159th Street and 167th Street
- Year: 2028
- Description: Improving Lone Elm Road into a four-lane road with sidewalks and turn lanes.
Dennis Avenue improvements
- Cost: $18.8 million
- Location: Dennis Avenue between Hedge Lane and Parker Street
- Year: 2029
- Description: Upgrading Dennis to be a three-lane road with curbs, gutters and sidewalks.
167th Street Bridge over US-169
- Cost: $39.5 million
- Location: 167th Street
- Year: 2030
- Description: Building an overpass over US Highway 169 and the BNSF railroad.
College Boulevard improvements
- Cost: $17.8 million
- Location: College Boulevard between Cedar Niles Boulevard and Clare Road
- Year: 2030
- Description: Improving College Boulevard to be a four-lane road with street lights, sidewalks and bike lanes.
Mill Creek splash pad
- Cost: $3.5 million
- Location: 320 E Poplar St.
- Year: 2026
- Description: Adding a new splash pad in downtown Olathe and updating the existing Mill Creek Pool.
BNSF west track grade separation engineering
- Cost: $500,000
- Location: Western Olathe
- Year: 2025
- Description: A study of the options for addressing the street-level railroad crossings that remain on the city’s western side.
Pflumm Road improvements
- Cost: $15.2 million
- Location: Pflumm Road between 143rd Street and 151st Street
- Year: 2025
- Description: Improving a stretch of Pflumm Road to be a four-lane road with more capacity and upgrading some intersections.
City Hall parking garage
- Cost: $20.3 million
- Location: Downtown Olathe
- Year: 2026
- Description: A joint city and county project adding more parking capacity in the downtown area, particularly for city and county employees as well as for the public.
Black Bob Park improvements
- Cost: $4.4 million
- Location: 14500 W 151st St.
- Year: 2025
- Description: Improving the playground to be an inclusive play space and adding parking.
Cedar Creek Trail phase 3
- Cost: $2.1 million
- Location: Western Olathe
- Year: 2025
- Description: Building out the next part of the Cedar Creek Trail project, which will connect Lake Olathe Park to Johnson County’s Cedar Niles Park.
Cedar Creek Trail phase 4
- Cost: $2.5 million
- Location: Western Olathe
- Year: 2027
- Description: Adding a foot bridge over Lake Olathe to connect to the part of the trail that leads to Cedar Lake Park.
Frontier Park improvements
- Cost: $6.7 million
- Location: 15501 Indian Creek Pkwy.
- Year: 2028
- Description: Updating the park space.
Indian Creek Trail and Library connection
- Cost: $2 million
- Location: 16100 W. 135th St.
- Year: 2029
- Description: Connecting the Indian Creek Trail and the Indian Creek branch of the Olathe Public Library.
Prairie Center Park improvements phase 2
- Cost: $2.9 million
- Location: 555 N. Olathe View Rd.
- Year: 2029
- Description: Continuing updates to the park, including sports field improvements and upgrades to the disc golf field.
Keep reading: Olathe gets first look at 2025 budget. How much could homeowners pay in taxes?
