Another round of rehabilitating Johnson Drive in Mission is on the horizon, but this time, without a plan to remove lanes.
The Mission City Council last week unanimously approved using $5 million worth of grant funding, awarded by the Mid-America Regional Council to the city in 2023, on a Johnson Drive rehabilitation project slated for 2026.
This rehabilitation project is for the stretch of road between the Metcalf Avenue bridge and Lamar Avenue, just west of the mom-and-pop downtown area.
Since the rehab project is two years away, specifics on how it will impact drivers have yet to be announced.
Drivers can expect new pavement, streetlights and more
Drivers use Johnson Drive as an east-west connector, running straight through the heart of downtown Mission.
The city plans to replace and upgrade “aged and deteriorated” infrastructure along this stretch of the key Johnson County corridor, according to city documents.
Once completed, the project should enhance safety and connectivity for both drivers and pedestrians.
Here is a look at some of the specific changes coming to Johnson Drive as part of this 2026 project, as outlined in city documents:
- Curb and road pavement replacement
- Upgraded stormwater
- Wider sidewalks
- New streetlights and traffic signals
- Native plantings and trees
Johnson Drive project to top $13M
- The $5 million worth of funding from the Mid-America Regional Council’s surface transportation block grant is just one piece of the funding puzzle for the Johnson Drive rehab project.
- Mission plans to pay for the grant’s required local match out of its capital improvement program.
- Bonds and funding from the county assistance road systems (CARS) program are also expected to help pay for this project, according to city documents.
- The Wednesday approval also allows the city to enter an agreement with the Kansas Department of Transportation in order to distribute the grant funding, according to city documents.
This comes after another Johnson Drive update project
- In 2022, Mission kicked off construction on a Johnson Drive road diet between Roe and Lamar avenues.
- This $1.35 million project took the four-lane roadway down to today’s three lanes.
- Other improvements made include asphalt resurfacing and pavement and median repairs.
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