I-70 to close on east side of Kansas City metro for weekend: Here’s what to expect
The closure of a seven-mile stretch of Interstate 70 in the Kansas City area is expected to have major traffic impacts, according to state transportation officials.
I-70 will close next weekend on the east side of the Kansas City metro area, the Missouri Department of Transportation has announced.
The seven mile stretch of I-70 through Independence and eastern Kansas City will close the evening of Sept. 6 so that crews can demolish ramps in the I-70 and Interstate 435 interchange.
The highway will be closed in both directions between I-435 and Interstate 470/Missouri 291 and will remain closed through the weekend, reopening by 5 a.m. Sept. 9.
The closure is expected have major impacts on traffic. Drivers are being urged to plan ahead, leave early and follow the signed detour that will take them around the construction on I-470.
While the highway is closed, crews will demolish the ramps from southbound I-435 to eastbound I-70 and northbound I-435 to westbound I-70 as part of the work to redesign the interchange into a partial turbine interchange.
Crews will also take advantage of the closure to complete much-needed maintenance work along that stretch of road, including lighting repairs, median barrier wall repairs, drainage work and paving work. All work is weather permitting.
Here’s what to expect next week:
Sept. 5
At 7 p.m., crews will close the ramps from northbound I-435 to westbound I-70 and southbound I-435 to eastbound I-70 . They will remain closed until spring 2020.
Sept. 6
About 7 p.m., crews will begin reducing I-70 to one lane in both directions between I-435 and I-470/Missouri 291.
About 8 p.m., crews will close all on and off ramps along I-70 between I-435 and I-470/Missouri 291.
About 9 p.m., I-70 will be closed in that area and will remain closed until about 5 a.m. Sept. 9.
During the closure, eastbound I-70 will be reduced to one lane at Manchester Trafficway and traffic that hasn’t already exited will be detoured off I-70 at the ramp to southbound I-435.
Westbound I-70 will also be reduced to one lane before the I-470/Missouri 291 interchange and traffic that hasn’t already exited will be routed onto southbound I-470/Missouri 291.
Southbound Missouri 291 just north of I-70 will be reduced to one lane to accommodate merging traffic from westbound I-70.
Drivers should expect all ramps to and from I-70 in that area to be closed also.
Once the demolition is complete and I-70 is reopened, drivers needing to access westbound I-70 to northbound I-435 will need to exit at Raytown Road/Stadium Drive and then turn north and follow Raytown Road, which becomes Manchester Trafficway, to U.S. 40. At that point, they will head west to the westbound I-70 on ramp.
To avoid the crush of traffic near Arrowhead Stadium on game days, drivers not headed to the sports complex should continue north on I-435 and exit at 23rd Street and then head back on southbound I-435 to westbound I-70.
Drivers needing to access eastbound I-70 from southbound I-435 will need to take the exit ramp to westbound I-70 and then exit at U.S. 40 to circle under to the eastbound I-70 on ramp.
Fans headed to Arrowhead Stadium on game days should consult MoDOT’s game day detours.
The $47 million redesign of the interchange at I-70 and I-435 includes bridge replacements, removal of left exits, improvements to loop ramp configuration and congestion relief.
The project is scheduled to be completed by December 2020.
