KSHB 41 anchor/reporter Daniela Leon covers transportation-related issues in Kansas City. Share your story idea with Daniela.
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Both directions of Interstate 70 through the heart of Kansas City, Missouri, will be closed starting Friday night, Nov. 7, to allow for a bridge removal.
Starting at 8 p.m. Friday, the Missouri Department of Transportation will close both directions of I-70 between E. 23rd Street and E. 31st Street.
The closure will give crews a chance to take out the Lister Avenue Bridge and a pedestrian bridge near Oakley Avenue that crossover I-70.
Crews hope to have the interstate back open by 6 a.m. Monday for the morning rush hour.
"We're being very intentional about any bridges that we put back to make sure they have wide sidewalks and shared paths," James Pflum, MoDOT deputy project director, told KSHB traffic anchor Daniela Leon. "The community connectivity has been an important piece of this project that we've looked at."
Pflum leads the Improve I-70 KC project, which aims to replace aging infrastructure, improve connectivity with heavy traffic congestion during rush hours, and crashes on I-70 between The Paseo Blvd. and US Highway 40 and E. 31 Street.
The $237 million project began construction in spring 2025 and is estimated to be done by December 2028.
"When we've done closures like this in this area of I-70, people planning ahead and thinking about where they're gonna go ahead of time is important," Pflum said. "When they get to the end of the queue and realize the roadway's closed, that's when we have the most amount of issues."
Stretch of Missouri Highway 350 also set to close this weekend
South of the I-70 closure, MoDOT will also close both directions of MO Highway 350 at Noland Road for a bridge demolition starting Saturday at 6 a.m.
MoDOT says this work is a part of a bigger project that includes a bridge replacement, pavement resurfacing, and new turn lanes at MO 350 and Noland Road.
Crews are hopeful to have 350 back open by 10 p.m. Sunday night.
Noland Road will remain open.
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