KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A construction project that will dramatically change the Interstate 70 and Interstate 435 interchange in Kansas City, Missouri, could have a major impact on your daily commute.
The Missouri Department of Transportation closed the ramp from eastbound I-70 to northbound I-435 on Sunday morning. The ramp from westbound I-70 to southbound I-435 will close Wednesday with construction on the interchange, which is located just northwest of the Truman Sports Complex, expected to wrap up in December 2020.
MoDOT said the $47 million project is necessary to reduce congestion and improve safety, but drivers 41 Action News spoke with are not looking forward to the detours and delays.
“It's terrible," Jerald Lockridge said. "It is very terrible, because I don't know why they couldn't close down one ramp at a time, because you're making a big inconvenience for everybody to get on a highway, to get off the highway, rush-hour traffic, everything else. It's terrible."
Traffic crashes involving semi tractor-trailers have become a significant issues in recent years on the loops, which is one of the reasons MoDOT cited in pushing forward with the project.
“The westbound 70 to southbound 435 ramp, it does see a lot of truck crashes, so we are seeing a lot of improvements to that ramp,” said Matt Killion, a MoDOT area engineer
Lockridge, who is a truck driver, agreed there have been more crashes, but he attributed the problem to driver error.
“If you drive safely, it's not a problem," Lockridge said. "Most of the time you see big rigs overturning down there is because the guys are going too fast."
The detour from eastbound I-70 to northbound I-435 will use U.S. 40 near 31st Street over to northbound I-435. Crews also will close the eastbound I-70 exit ramp to Manchester Trafficway.
The entrance ramp from Manchester Trafficway to westbound I-70 will close at 9 a.m. on Monday and remain closed for the duration of the project. Crews will close various lanes along Manchester Trafficway on Tuesday to accommodate ramp configuration alterations.
The westbound I-70 loop to southbound I-435 will close at 8 p.m. on Wednesday and several lanes of the interstate will be closed overnight between Stadium Drive and Manchester Trafficway as crews work.
The detour require westbound drivers to exit at Manchester Trafficway and turn around onto eastbound I-70 to reach southbound I-435.
Crews also will close several lanes intermittently Thursday while installing barriers in preparation for the project's start.
The new configuration will be a partial turbine, also known as a whirlpool interchange. Bridges also will be replaced, left-hand exits will be removed, and other improvements are planned to the loop-ramp configuration.
Based on an I-70 Environmental Impact Study, MoDOT believes the changes also will relieve congestion in that area. Emery Sapp and Sons is the project's primary contractor.
