The Leavenworth County Commission reviewed a resolution on Monday that would endorse transportation improvements throughout the county.

Among the list of five priority transportation projects is an expressway connection from Kansas Highway 7 at McIntyre Road to Interstate 435 at Wolcott Road, which is part of Kansas Highway 5. The city of Lansing has already approved a resolution that endorses the project, and several city officials made a presentation before the county commission.

City of Lansing officials list the possible expressway connection as their top priority because of safety reasons and economic development opportunities, said Ken Miller, public information officer for the city of Lansing. The proposed expressway would exist about evenly within Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties, Miller said.

The resolution will be considered as the Kansas Department of Transportation develops its new statewide comprehensive transportation program. KDOT’s 10-year comprehensive transportation plan is set to expire in January. The Kansas Legislature will be asked to approve a new 10-year plan during next year’s session. 

The city of Leavenworth also has already passed its own resolution that endorses priority transportation projects. The county commission delayed further action on its own resolution until Thursday. Chris Dunn, director of county planning and zoning, will present the five priority projects and their potential effect on the county’s comprehensive land-use plan.

Though the county commission did not formally pass its transportation projects’ resolution on Monday, Commission Chairman Clyde Graeber told Miller that the proposed expressway is the commission’s “No. 1.”

“I think it’s a very important project and one that I certainly support,” Graeber said. “If the Village (West) down there expands and if they get a casino, that connecting road could really be important in this town.” 

Other priority transportation projects include a Leavenworth County Regional Airport, a Kansas Highway 92 bridge over the Missouri River, a west bypass from Kansas Highway 7 at McIntyre Road to Kansas Highway 92 north of the city of Leavenworth and a 30th Street trafficway west of the city of Leavenworth.

County Administrator Heather Morgan asked how Lansing officials would work to get the resolution and its priority projects implemented into KDOT’s new comprehensive transportation plan. Miller said the city would address Wyandotte County and KDOT officials about the proposed project.

He also said the city plans “to be knocking on a lot of doors, talking to anybody who wants to hear us talk about it.”

Graeber said Lansing should also incorporate the Leavenworth County Development Corporation in its outreach efforts. He also suggested that Lansing officials contact officials at Fort Leavenworth and ask them to sign a letter of support for the proposed expressway connection.

Mike Spickelmier, director of county public works, shared his thoughts about the project during Monday’s meeting.

“Lansing has been in some discussions with me, and I think it’s a very positive step forward for the county and for the communities within the county,” Spickelmier said. “We all know that the economic engine that drives the economy of the region is the city of Kansas City, and viable transportation links to that engine are going to benefit everybody.”

County Resident Louis Klemp provided feedback after Lansing officials presented their side.

“I don’t know how many projects we can have,” Klemp said. “It’s not a bad project because it’s not getting into Missouri, so we don’t have to play their politics. It’s not all bad, in that aspect.”

Based on her previous working experiences with Kansas legislators, Morgan said they will probably give “no thought” on how the priority transportation projects would connect.

“They’re just going to pick the projects and stick them in the plan with very little detail or thought,” Morgan said.

The priority transportation projects endorsed through city and county resolutions also will most likely change once they reach the state level, Graeber said.