Work to resume on massive I-435 pavement reconstruction project in Overland Park

With a break from the springtime rains, crews hope to resume prep work on Thursday that is needed for the upcoming massive Interstate 435 pavement reconstruction project in Overland Park.

Now that the 13 consecutive days of precipitation is expected to come to an end on Thursday, crews will be out the remainder of the week getting the traffic into its final configuration for the project.

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, crews will close the two left lanes of eastbound and westbound I-435 from Quivira Road to Metcalf Avenue for pothole repair and pavement marking.

The closures are expected to cause major delays through the area Thursday. Drivers are urged to use alternate routes or local streets if possible.

Crews will reduce eastbound I-435 to one lane between Pflumm Road and Metcalf from 8 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday so that the two left lanes of I-435 can be shifted onto westbound I-435 for the 2017 traffic configuration for the project.

At 10 p.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Sunday, the ramps from northbound and southbound U.S. 69 to eastbound I-435 will be closed. U.S. 69 traffic will detour via westbound I-435 to Quivira and back onto eastbound I-435.

During the work, ramps to Quivira, U.S. 69, Antioch Road and Metcalf may have short-term delays during the pavement marking work.

By Sunday morning, eastbound I-435 will be reduced to three lanes and placed in its split-lane configuration for this year’s work.

Already, the left lanes of eastbound and westbound I-435 are closed from Metcalf to Quivira. Also, westbound I-435, which has been reduced to three through lanes, is in its traffic configuration for this year’s work.

The speed limit for the work zone, which is in effect now, is 55 mph from Metcalf to Quivira.

The traffic reconfiguration is in preparation for the start of a two-year, $16.34 million project to reconstruct 2.5 miles of I-435 in Overland Park.

Over the next two years, crews will replace the deteriorating concrete pavement on the mainline lanes of the interstate. They will also patch and resurface bridge decks and reconstruct the approaches for the bridges over Indian Creek and Metcalf.

A new asphalt overlay will be installed on the northbound U.S. 69 to westbound I-435 loop, as well as on a portion of the westbound I-435 collector-distributor road.

This year’s work is focusing on reconstructing the eastbound lanes and is expected to be completed in November. Work on the westbound lanes will take place next year.

The project is expected to cause major delays for the nearly 140,000 vehicles that travel through this portion of I-435 on a daily basis.

This story was originally published April 5, 2017 at 1:20 PM with the headline "Work to resume on massive I-435 pavement reconstruction project in Overland Park."