Lane changes coming to I-435 bridge over Missouri River as part of two-year rehab
Traffic along northbound Interstate 435 on Kansas City’s east side will be limited to one lane as crews make changes Friday to the lanes over the Missouri River, the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Kansas City District announced.
Crews will reduce northbound I-435 to one lane from Front Street to Parvin Road from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. so that they can do traffic reconfiguration work for a two-year rehabilitation project of the bridge over the Missouri River, according to a press release.
Once Friday’s work is completed, the left lane of northbound I-435 will be switched over to a lane of southbound I-435. This traffic pattern will continue through December, the transportation department said.
Because of the change, all northbound traffic wanting to exit onto Missouri 210 will have to use the right lane across the bridge.
The work has potential to create significant traffic slowdowns through the area. The transportation department is urging drivers to be patient and plan ahead.
The work is part of a $32 million project to replace the bridge deck, reinforce the structural steel and repair the substructure of the aging bridge. The bridge, built in 1972, is just south of Worlds of Fun. It carries about 81,500 vehicles over the river each day.
The project was to begin last fall, but the project’s planners decided to wait until this spring. They feared a closure during the winter months would make travel through the area less than ideal, especially if there was snow on the road. The project is expected to be completed in December 2021.
Throughout the duration of the project, traffic will be reduced from three to two lanes in both directions.
