Governor Laura Kelly stopped through Emporia Monday morning to acknowledge the beginning of a major construction project west of Emporia.
Governor Kelly joined local leaders at the Kansas Department of Transportation office at 4200 West Highway 50 to hold an official groundbreaking ceremony. The ceremony symbolized the beginning of a delayed T-WORKS project for widening a portion of US Highway 50 west of Emporia from two lanes to four.
During her remarks, Governor Kelly stated this is not only a great day for Emporia but the entire state of Kansas.
The widening project was originally slated to take place back in 2011 as part of the 10-year, $8 billion T-WORKS program under Sam Brownback’s administration. T-WORKS has since been replaced by the Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program (IKE) formerly known as FORWARD.
Kansas Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz says the upcoming widening project serves as a great model for what the administration hopes to achieve through IKE for three key reasons.
Lorenz says the project will not only create immediate “construction jobs” but will also support long term growth in the local community by supporting a proposed Industrial Park in the area.
Lyon County Commissioner Rollie Martin says this project has had the full support of the Lyon County Commission and the Regional Development Association of East Central Kansas since its conception. He echoes Lorenz’s statements saying the project is a “great opportunity for economic development” within the local community.
Due to inclement weather, the groundbreaking ceremony was moved to the KDOT building from Prairie Land Partners with the “groundbreaking” itself taking place indoors. For more information on the IKE program and upcoming projects visit KSDOT.org.
