Lewis and Clark Viaduct I-70 westbound bridge closure set to begin next week

An overhead map of the Lewis and Clark Viaduct reconstruction.

Work will soon begin on a portion of the Lewis and Clark Viaduct. Closures for the reconstruction of the I-70 westbound bridge are scheduled to take place on Feb. 2 at 10 p.m. Temporary closures to install traffic control equipment may take place leading up to the two-year westbound closures. 

Westbound I-70 will be closed from the Broadway interchange in Kansas City, Missouri westward to the connections in downtown Kansas City, Kansas for the duration of the two-year construction period. The main detour route will use I-670 westbound and the secondary route will use I-35 southbound. To detour to Kansas City, Kansas, please use the Central Avenue Exit from I-670. To facilitate traffic operations using the Central Avenue Exit:

• A second lane will be added to the 3rd St./James St. Exit Ramp from I-70.
• Temporary signals will be added to two intersections.

 In preparation for the reconstruction, demolition of the Lewis & Clark Viaduct westbound lanes is tentatively scheduled for early March, a date and time are yet to be determined. The public will be able to watch the demolition on KDOT’s Facebook page. 

While it is not anticipated that traffic control will change once the project begins, please continue to check the Kansas City Metro page on the KDOT website for more details at www.ksdot.org/bureaus/kcMetro

Milestone Celebrated: JoCo Gateway interchange opens

Overhead shot of the new 95th Street & 1-35 diverging diamond interchange which is now open

Travelers in Johnson County woke up to great news this morning. The nearly three-year, $288 million Johnson County Gateway project is a step closer to completion. Today marks the opening of the 95^th Street and I-35 diverging diamond interchange in Lenexa.

Tuesday, Interim Kansas Transportation Secretary Richard Carlson, along with Lenexa Mayor Mike Boehm, Gateway Interchange Constructors’ Bill Clarkson and Kansas Department of Transportation Project Director Paul Gripka, celebrated this milestone at a ribbon-cutting ceremony and officially declared this portion of the project completed.

This is the fourth diverging diamond interchange in the Kansas City metro area and it will pave the way for new opportunities for existing and future development.

Construction of the interchange began in February and has been closed to traffic for six months. Secretary Carlson commented on how important the opening of this interchange is to area businesses and travelers.

“We know the full closure of this interchange came with many traffic delays and we understand what this means to commuters,” said Secretary Carlson. “This project will make the daily commute faster, more efficient and comfortable, while providing benefits to businesses in the 95th Street corridor.”

A nighttime view of the 95th St. & I-35 diverging diamond interchange. 

The broader I-435/1-35/K-10 Gateway area carries more than 230,000 vehicles daily  and that number is expected to grow by 150,000 in just 25 years.

Construction of the Gateway was prompted by the  expected growth in traffic, needed repair, economic development and safety concerns. The Gateway, which is the state’s first major design-build project, is expected to be substantially complete by the end of 2016.

This map explains how traffic is designed to move.

More information can be found at www.jocogateway.com 

Check out the video below for a flyover view of the new diverging diamond interchange.