(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.