The Kansas Department of Transportation is having online meetings Wednesday to get public input on roadways that are affected by extreme weather events or natural hazards.
KDOT will be receiving federal funds to address roadways and infrastructure that are vulnerable to floods and other hazards. KDOT Assistant to the Director of Planning and Development, David Schwartz, said in a press release: “We want to know where the trouble spots are, such as frequently flooded roadways. We also want to know where critical community assets might be at risk of losing access during disasters. Having additional background and data from the public will assist KDOT staff when making project selections.”
Eligible project costs could cover several types of projects:
- Planning, design, construction, rehabilitation and property acquisition related to improving the resilience of the state transportation system.
- Equipment acquisition to support disaster response and transportation resilience.
- Natural infrastructure, flood protection and ecosystem restoration projects in connection with transportation improvements.
There will be three online meetings on Wednesday. A meeting at 2 p.m. will focus on the Wichita metro area. A second meeting will be held at 5:30 for the Kansas City metro area, and the third meeting at 7 p.m. will focus on statewide needs.
To connect to one of the meetings and for more information, go to https://tinyurl.com/mrxcysx6. Reservations are not required.
The funds are being provided through the Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) Formula Program. This program is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is providing funds for Federal Highway Administration programs through 2026.
