(KNZA)--The construction of a new federal penitentiary in Leavenworth is underway.
U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall, along with Gov. Laura Kelly and others took part in a groundbreaking ceremony Monday morning.
According to Moran's office, Congress appropriated $532 million for the construction of a new facility and satellite federal prison camp to replace an antiquated structure constructed in 1897 that served as the nation's first maximum-security prison.
The new facility will be built on undeveloped land east of the existing facility.
Moran's office said construction will take place over a three-year period, with completion anticipated in May 2026.
The Kansas senator said the future prison complex is the second-largest federal investment in Kansas history — trailing only the $1.2 billion National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan.
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