By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
In October 2019, the City of Great Bend found out they received funding from the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Cost Share Program to resurface most of 10th Street and reconstruct the SRCA Dragstrip. Both of the projects are currently ongoing.
Since 2019, Barton County has been denied twice to receive funding from the Cost Share Program to mill and overlay Airport Road, or Southwest 40 Avenue.
City Administrator Kendal Francis said the city pledged their financial support on the project that would be
mutually beneficial heading out to the airport and the Great Bend Transload
Facility.
"The city actually owns close to 65% of the road, so we agreed to cost share the local match," said Francis. "Since we were denied the two previous times, we thought in order to strengthen our application we needed to increase the percentage of local match."
On the first two applications, Barton County and Great Bend offered KDOT a 25%
match but will increase that to 50% on the latest application.
Barton County Engineer
Barry McManaman estimates construction costs to be approximately $800,000 and
design and inspection fees to be $40,000. Splitting the 50% match, the Great
Bend City Council voted to provide a portion of the matching funds in an amount
not to exceed $220,000.
The actual final cost would be dependent on the bids received.