Senator Roberts: South Lawrence Trafficway Is Complete

Press Release

U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) today announced that the South Lawrence Trafficway in Douglas County, Kansas, is now complete. Senator Roberts was instrumental in securing funding for the trafficway, a project critical for economic development and public safety in the area, which took over two decades to complete.

Speaking today at the trafficway's ribbon cutting, Roberts said, "The South Lawrence Trafficway is a symbol of how Kansans can work together to get something done in the face of long odds. I am happy to be part of this long-earned success that will bring tremendous opportunity and quality of life benefits for Lawrence, Douglas County, and the University of Kansas.

"This is the beginning of opportunity for the region rather than an end of a long process. This project will enhance development in the High Tech Corridor where much of Kansas' current and future economic growth will occur. With this completion, Kansans can now travel safely between their homes and their jobs and enjoy improved lifestyle opportunities."

Senator Roberts long-championed efforts in Congress to secure funding for the South Lawrence Trafficway, a project connecting the K-10 Highway and the Kansas Turnpike, which was necessary to safely handle the area's growing economic development in Kansas' High Tech Corridor.

In 2005, Senator Roberts secured $1.5 million through the federal appropriations process to begin construction on the eastern portion of the trafficway -- the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' approved 32nd Street route -- which allowed the project to move forward. In 2010, he secured another $1.25 million to complete construction. Today he announced the project is now complete.

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