Kansas Contractors Association, ARTBA Host Key House T&I Committee Member at Major IIJA Project

What happened: The U.S. 69 Corridor Modernization and Expansion Project in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, Kan., received an up close and personal tour Aug. 17 by Rep. Sharice Davids (D-Kan.), who serves on the House Transportation & Infrastructure (T&I) Committee. ARTBA and the Kansas Contractors Association, in partnership with U.S. 69 Express Constructors, hosted Davids. (In photo above, Rep. Davids is flanked by ARTBA Senior VP of Congressional Relations Dean Franks (left) and Kansas Contractors Association Executive Director Michael White.)

Why it matters: Showing lawmakers transportation improvements derived from 2021’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is essential to winning Congressional support for the next major reauthorization of highway funding due in 2026. The project, also known as 69Express, addresses long-term congestion in Overland Park, with a population expected to grow more than 23 percent by 2036. The project is supported by $524 million from the IIJA.

What’s next: The tour is part of ARTBA’s continuing campaign to make sure legislators know how the IIJA is helping improve the lives of their constituents. ARTBA members interested in hosting their member of Congress should contact Dean Franks.