How long will Interstate 70 detours take in Kansas City, Missouri? We drove the routes Tuesday to find out

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Drivers who use Interstate 70 to go east and west through Kansas City will need to plan for major changes that begin in January.

That's when a three-mile stretch of the highway closes for nearly a year as a huge construction project designed to improve travel and safety on the crowded interstate.

The closure will affect I-70 between Prospect Avenue and Van Brunt Boulevard.

The project includes adding a fourth eastbound lane, replacing bridges and straightening several tight curves along the corridor.

According to Missouri Department of Transportation Project Manager Josh Pflum, the agency is spending time in community meetings and using social media as ways to get drivers ready for significant traffic shifts during construction.

The interstate currently carries about 105,000 vehicles each day.

“We're making sure the 105,000 cars a day, those commuters, know that we need to find alternative routes,” Pflum said.

MoDOT's goal is to move traffic from the closed section of I-70 onto other major highways.

“Really, the intention is to take all that traffic on the state highways and put that on other state highways,” Pflum said. “Whether that is going north on 435 to 35 or going south on 435 to 71.”

To get an idea of what drivers may experience, KSHB 41 News reporter Lauren Schwentker and her photographer tested several of the proposed detour routes.

One commuter route from downtown Kansas City to the stadiums using U.S. 71 Highway and Interstate 35 took about 30 minutes.

Another route from Independence to Overland Park using Interstate 470 and Interstate 435 also took about 30 minutes.

Those travel times should be viewed only as estimates. The routes were driven on a Tuesday afternoon before rush hour and not during a major event or game day.

MoDOT's traffic modeling predicts delays could be much longer once the closure begins.

“The modeling we did showed 50-minute delays. That's if there are no accidents,” Pflum said. “And that's for two years instead of 11 months."

The closure is scheduled to begin in January. The project is expected to be completed by spring 2028.

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