Build Kansas advisory committee approves multiple projects, sends Franklin County bridge planning request back for KDOT follow-up

The Build Kansas Advisory Committee approved several local project applications on notice and asked staff to seek more information from the Kansas Department of Transportation before advancing a Franklin County bridge planning request.

At the meeting, Sean Wiesner, executive director of the Kansas Infrastructure Hub, told committee members that of the $100 million appropriated for the Build Kansas Fund, about $91.6 million has been committed, awarded or is awaiting federal funding and that the fund currently shows an $8.8 million available balance.

Wiesner said the number of federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) grant opportunities appears to have declined this year and that the hub has worked to connect applicants to alternative state and private funding sources. "While the number of federal grants on a national scale may have decreased, community needs across our state have not," Wiesner said.

Why it matters: The committee’s approvals move several local planning and design efforts forward and preserve the possibility of drawing federal dollars, but members pressed for clearer signals that planning grants will lead to construction funding — particularly for bridges, where state and federal dollars are often layered.

Most important facts - Build Kansas Fund status: Wiesner reported $91,600,000 of the $100,000,000 allocation has been approved, awarded, committed or is awaiting federal funding; the dashboard showed an $8,800,000 current balance. - Project pipeline: Since October 2023 the advisory council has processed 148 projects: 49 have been awarded federal funds, 69 are pending federal decisions, 19 were notified they were not selected, and 11 were submitted to federal programs that were later canceled. - Federal leverage: Wiesner reported $86,080,000 in federal funds have been unlocked via state-submitted applications, which he described as roughly a 245% return on investment tied to Build Kansas-supported projects.

Approvals and votes - An application described as previously tabled (Franklin County; applicant clarified a local nonfederal contribution of $8,258, meeting the 5% nonfederal match requirement) was approved "without objection." The committee record shows discussion and a correction that the presented table incorrectly listed the match percentage but that an asterisk explained the 5% of nonfederal match calculation. - Flint Hills Regional Council application (the community returned an in-kind contribution of $17,333) was approved "without objection." - A City of Baser application to create and adopt a community Safe Streets for All plan (BKF request listed as $28,500 on the slides) was approved "without objection." - The Franklin County bridge planning application — aimed to bundle planning for multiple nearby bridges and to support later Bridge Investment Program construction grant applications — generated substantial discussion and was returned to staff for follow-up with KDOT. A voice motion to send the item back for more information carried after discussion; the motion was seconded by Representative Helgerson and approved by voice vote. - The committee approved the minutes from the July 22, 2025 advisory committee meeting. Representative Waymaster moved; Representative Helgerson seconded; the motion carried by voice vote.

Discussion and context Committee members questioned whether awarding planning dollars without clearer KDOT support would leave local governments holding plans with no pathway to construction funding. "I don't think we should get these planning dollars unless there's already a commitment by KDOT to move ahead," Representative Helgerson said, urging assurance that planning leads to executable construction funding.

Hub staff agreed to follow up. Committee members asked staff to obtain details from KDOT on why prior state-level applications were declined and to clarify whether KDOT or federal sources could or would fund the subsequent construction phases. Staff said they would return with a spreadsheet and an itemized chart of awarded and pending federal programs and their likely longevity.

Federal program status Hub staff and committee counsel noted that certain federal discretionary bridge programs have experienced pauses and administrative changes. A staff member briefed the committee that the federal Bridge Investment Program’s notice of funding had been paused while application requirements were adjusted, and that some elements of the program were later restarted.

Other hub activity Wiesner described a technical assistance convening that brought 35 TA providers together and said the hub received 61 technical assistance requests across state, federal and foundation programs. The hub also said it is updating dashboards and outreach plans and will provide more detailed balance and obligations charts at the next meeting.

Next steps Staff will seek additional information from KDOT about the Franklin County bridge planning application and the department’s prior decisions; the hub will circulate a more detailed fund-balance and federal-program status chart at the next meeting.

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