Ramps on new highway interchange at I-435 and I-70 in Kansas City to open Thursday
The ramps that make up the new “partial turbine” interchange at Interstates 435 and 70 near the Truman Sports Complex in Kansas City will begin opening Thursday, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation.
“It’s pretty exciting,” Lairyn McGregor, a spokeswoman for MoDOT’s Kansas City District, said Wednesday. “This is the first interchange of its kind in the Kansas City area. It’s been neat to see how it’s changed over the last year and a half and we’re excited to finish it up.”
The ramps are part of two-year, $47 million construction project to makeover the heavily traveled highway interchange, aimed at making it safer and less congested. The new design replaces less traditional left-hand exit ramps that were previously in place.
Crews were scheduled to install pavement markings Wednesday night on the new ramps from northbound I-435 to westbound and eastbound I-70.
“We expect the ramps to open early tomorrow [Thursday] morning, probably in the wee hours,” McGregor said.
Traffic headed to I-70 will no longer use a left-hand exits.
Instead, all drivers headed north on I-435 will exit to the right. Eastbound traffic will continue straight on the ramp to merge onto I-70. Westbound traffic, however, will loop around the partial turbine design to merge onto I-70.
The ramps from southbound I-435 to both directions of I-70 are expected to open sometime next week.
When that occurs, drivers headed south on I-435 will exit to the right. Westbound traffic will continue straight on the ramp to merge onto I-70. Eastbound traffic will loop around the partial turbine design onto I-70.
The ramp from eastbound I-70 to eastbound Blue Ridge Cutoff will open at this time too.
Currently all I-435 traffic is on the southbound bridge. That will change soon, as the northbound I-435 bridge is nearing completion and will be reopened, McGregor said.
The construction project, which began in the spring of 2019, has had an immense impact on traffic around and through the area, especially for sports fans headed to and from Arrowhead and Kauffman stadiums to see the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals play. The project is expected to be completed this fall, although drivers can expect to see some lane closures in the area through December.
The project included full bridge replacements, removal of left exits, improvements to loop ramp configuration and congestion relief.
