Infrastructure bill includes money for several Kansas City-area projects

A new interchange in Johnson County and electric buses for Kansas City are in the new infrastructure bill being considered by the House Wednesday.

Area lawmakers are in important positions to decide the fate of the bill. This is money for roads, bridges and promoting climate change. U.S. Rep. Sam Graves is the top Republican on the House Infrastructure Committee and U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, a Kansas Democrat, is the vice chair.

"I think what we're seeing, in my view, is some real momentum getting built up," Davids said.

It's more than a half-trillion dollars, including money for U.S. 169 Highway in Johnson County and $15 million for long-awaited improvements to the U.S. 69 interchange at 167th Street.

"I think my predecessor's predecessor was hearing about this," Davids said.

Davids and U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver have $10 million in it for electric buses for Kansas City. Cleaver has money for a pedestrian mall in the Jazz District, a Lawson bridge and downtown Odessa improvements.

But Republicans don't like the climate change parts of the bill and believe there are too many frills.

"You know what makes people ride transit systems? Its convenience. Its cost. Its efficiency. It's not about whether or not there is art in the station," Graves said.

So there are some projects for the city and the entire region in this House version of the infrastructure bill. The Senate version will be different, and it will take a while to cut a deal.

The House could take a vote on this version of an infrastructure bill as early as Thursday.