When Metcalf Road was built in the 1940s and 50s, it was a 20-foot wide swath of pavement bordered by gravel shoulders and ditches. Not much has changed since then, but the time could be nearing for an upgrade.
Miami County and the city of Louisburg have partnered to apply for a federal grant to improve Metcalf Road south of Kansas Highway 68. The two face a rough road ahead, but officials are hopeful they will be successful.
“It is a very competitive grant process,” said J.R. McMahon, county road and bridge director. “Our goal is to go in there and get the grant, but the trouble is we will be competing against larger cities such as Overland Park and Olathe, all of the metro area on the Kansas side. That being said, we think we have a pretty good chance of picking up some grant money.”
(Read more: The Miami County Republic)