Graves Announces BUILD Grants For Kansas City Projects

On September 10, Congressman Sam Graves, Ranking Member for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, announced that Kansas City has received two Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Transportation Discretionary Grants, or BUILD grants.

The City of Kansas City will receive a $640,000 BUILD planning grant for a Corridor Study of I-29/I-35.

These grants will help spur economic development - Congressman Sam Graves

The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority will receive a $14.2 million BUILD grant for the Kansas City Streetcar Riverfront Extension.

“I am thrilled that Kansas City will receive these BUILD grants. These grants will help spur economic development and ensure that we are prepared for the region’s transportation needs so we can more quickly begin construction projects in the future,” said Graves. “Congratulations to the Kansas City region, and my thanks to President Trump and Secretary Chao for continuing to place a focus on improving our infrastructure.”

The Corridor Study grant will provide funding to conduct a corridor study of the Interstate 29, Interstate 35, and US 169 corridors that merge directly north of Kansas City’s central business district to document existing conditions, freight impact, and potential solutions to better serve people and goods movement in the northern portion of the Kansas City metropolitan area, better preparing the area for construction projects in the future.

The KC Streetcar to the Riverfront Project would build an extension to the Berkley Riverfront area just north of downtown Kansas City, providing connectivity to the riverfront and spurring additional development.

“This Administration is making significant investments in infrastructure, and this $1 billion in BUILD grants will repair, rebuild, and revitalize transportation systems across America,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao. 

BUILD grant projects were evaluated based on merit criteria including safety, economic competitiveness, quality of life, environmental protection, state of good repair, innovation, partnership, and additional non-Federal revenue for future transportation infrastructure investments.

KPGZ News - Brian Watts contributed to this report