Downtown Kansas City highway ramp won’t reopen until June 1

The ramp bridge from eastbound Interstate 70 to southbound Interstate 35 in the downtown highway loop will require more extensive repairs than initially thought and will remain closed until June 1.

The ramp bridge was closed April 14 after inspectors found significant deterioration. The Missouri Department of Transportation expected repairs to take two to three weeks.

But officials determined the deteriorated section of the ramp bridge needs to be replaced, taking more time. The project will involve adding 7,500 pounds of steel and 1,416 new bolts.

The ramp bridge was built in 1967 and is normally used by 4,000 to 5,000 vehicles a day.

This story was originally published May 5, 2015 at 4:37 PM with the headline "Downtown Kansas City highway ramp won’t reopen until June 1."