Project History
1997 – Initial Major Investment Study
1999 – Metropolitan Area Planning Department identified the Northwest By-Pass in its Comprehensive Plan Update
2002 – City of Wichita passed a resolution to buy right of way for the corridor
2003 – City of Wichita, with local input, sited a new wastewater treatment plant at 135th St. W. and 45th St. N., anticipating growth tied to the highway project
2005 – Right of Way Plan became available, though KDOT had limited funds for acquisition
2007 – Corridor Preservation Overlay adopted within the Unified Zoning Code (DER2007-00009), restricting development to protect the bypass corridor
(Note: No programmed construction remains in KDOT’s long-term plans, raising legal concerns about land-use restrictions.)
2010 – T-WORKS program passed
State budgeted $5,075,000 for right-of-way acquisitions
2:1 state-local funding match through 2015; adjusted to 1:1 from 2016–2020
$13,000,000 spent by November 2015
Total budget: $51,000,000
2010–2015+ – Right-of-way acquired in Sedgwick County, including Maize and Goddard
2024–2025 – Community input, preliminary planning
2026–2028 – Right-of-way studies, environmental review
2029–2035+ – Phased construction and development
This is a multi-decade plan. Each step builds momentum for the next.
