May 3, 2011

NEWS CONTACTS:  

Scott Shields, Kansas Byways Coordinator, 785-296-4149 or scottsh@ksdot.org

Sue Stringer, Kansas Byways Public Involvement Liaison, 785-296-8669 or stringer@ksdot.org

Kansas Byways Receive Grant

The Kansas Byways program has been awarded a $220,000 grant from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to assist local byway committees with telling their stories. The grant is part of the FHWA’s National Scenic Byways Program, which recognizes and provides funding for roads designated either locally or nationally as having outstanding scenic, historic, cultural, natural, recreational and archaeological qualities. 

This FHWA grant will help the Kansas Byways program develop, implement and enhance an Interpretive Master Plan for the Kansas collection of byways as well as for each individual byway. The plan will complement the statewide byway marketing efforts, further explaining the geology, history, industry, agriculture, ranching and other assets that may be unique to one byway or a shared quality with other byways. This funding provides local byway committees that may not have local funds an opportunity to develop and tell the stories of their byway.

Byway interpretation will provide the Kansas Byways traveler unique stories and visual appeal so they can make a connection with the qualities of the byway – past and present.

The Kansas Byways program is funded in part by the FHWA, the Kansas Department of Transportation and the Kansas Department of Commerce, Travel & Tourism. Other partnering entities are the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and the Kansas State Historical Society as well as the local cities and counties along the byways.

Since 1992, the National Scenic Byways Program has awarded over $428 million in funding for more than 2,926 state, tribal and nationally designated byway projects in 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.

To learn more about the 10 Kansas Byways, visit the website at ksbyways.org, “Like” us on Facebook and Twitter or call the Kansas Department of Transportation at

1-800-684-6966.

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