Commuter alert: Work on Lewis & Clark loop will cause closures, detours

Rush hour drivers: Beware. If you’re driving around the northwest corner of the downtown loop, expect changes.

Over the weekend, a two-year reconstruction project of the Lewis & Clark Viaduct in Kansas began.

Here’s what to expect:

▪  Westbound I-70 over the viaduct will be closed past the Broadway interchange to Third Street in Kansas City, Kan., as well as the ramps from Broadway, Beardsley Road and northbound I-35 to westbound I-70.

▪  In Kansas City, Kan., ramps from westbound I-70 to Minnesota Avenue, Washington Boulevard and the Fairfax Trafficway will be closed.

▪  On the north side of the loop, westbound traffic will be able to access Broadway and southbound I-35.

▪ Northbound I-35 traffic will see some additional traffic as part of a secondary detour. The eastbound lanes of I-70 over the viaduct will remain open.

The impact the detours will have on traffic is uncertain. Drivers are likely to see the biggest impact during the first few weeks, as people adapt to the closures.

Drivers are urged to obey the rules of the road, watch their speeds and follow the detour signs.