OLATHE, Kan. — The Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration announced more than $570 million in funding to address hundreds of railroad crossings across the country.

The largest local project will eliminate a busy crossing south of 119th Street and make it a lot easier to get around Olathe. 88 trains pass through Olathe daily.

“How often do you get stuck at this crossing? A lot like a couple times a day,” Kati Bunce responded to FOX4 while sitting at the Woodland/Northgate crossing.

The BNSF rail line also manages to cut a divide between East and West Olathe and K-7 and I-35 as West 119th Street dead ends into Woodland.

“To continue on 119th you got to come down a couple miles and come back around hang a left almost a u turn to continue on 119th,” Josh Wallace explained while sitting at the same railroad crossing.

Last year Olathe approved a $42 million plan to build a bridge over the tracks connecting East and West 119th Street and to make it a four lane road.

Monday the city found out The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration the will pitch in nearly $18 million for the project. That’s nine times what it’s spending to eliminate crossings in the entire state of Missouri.

“When we found out there was an opportunity to apply for this grant, our staff jumped on this opportunity to be able to be good stewards of city of Olathe tax dollars to be able to partner with the federal government to be able to make that dollar stretch a little further.”

The Federal Railroad Administration says the new structure will provide a safer route to schools and neighborhoods, a direct bike/pedestrian connection to a trail system, and a direct connection to I-35 and K-7.

The crossing on Woodland will be eliminated and the street turned into a neighborhood cul-de-sac since drivers will be able to continue straight over the new bridge on 119th Street.

“That will be so much better for sure,” Bunce said.

The only bad part for Olathe residents is the federal money will actually push back the construction timeline as they work to comply with grant stipulations. It had planned to start construction this fall, but now plan to begin next spring opening the bridge sometime in 2026.