KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Motorists who use the 119th Street Bridge over Interstate 35 in Olathe will need to plan out an alternate route starting June 1.
City officials say the bridge will close for 90 days starting June 1 as part of ongoing construction in the area.
Drivers who get off I-35 at the 119th Street interchange will still be able to exit the highway; Southbound I-35 drivers will still be able to go west on 119th Street and northbound I-35 drivers will still be able to go east on 119th Street.
All other traffic will need to use a detour.
The city says the project will help to alleviate bottlenecks around the interchange, one of the busiest in the region. They hope the improvements will also lead to a reduction in crashes, which they say is 11 times higher than the national average for similar interchanges.
The new interchange will manage traffic in a diverging diamond pattern, similar to the interchange at I-35 and 95th Street.
