This major downtown Kansas City highway closes for the weekend. Here’s what to know
Drivers might find it a bit challenging to get around and through downtown Kansas City this weekend as a major highway will be closed so a bridge can be demolished.
Crews will close Interstate 670 on the south side of the downtown loop in both directions from Interstate 35 on the west and Interstate 70 on the east so that the Baltimore Avenue bridge can be removed, said Lairyn McGregor, a spokeswoman for Missouri Department of Transportation’s Kansas City District.
The construction work, which was planned for last weekend but was delayed, is expected to get underway with the closing of the Baltimore bridge over I-670 on Thursday.
The bridge connects downtown to the Crossroads Arts District. While the bridge is closed, traffic will be detoured to Main Street via 14th and 16th streets.
Crews will then close I-670 at 8 p.m. on Friday so that crews can demolish the bridge and remove the debris over the weekend. The highway is expected to reopen no later than 5 a.m. on Monday, McGregor said.
While I-670 is closed, traffic will be encouraged to use I-70 on the northern part of the downtown loop.
Drivers can also expect to find the following ramps closed that weekend:
- The ramp from northbound Interstate 35 to eastbound I-670.
- The ramp from southbound I-35 to eastbound I-670.
- The Truman Road. ramp just past Broadway to eastbound I-670.
- The ramp from Wyoming Street to eastbound I-670.
- The ramp from eastbound Interstate 70 to westbound I-670.
- The ramp from northbound U.S. 71 to westbound I-670.
- The ramp from 10th Street to westbound I-670.
- The ramp from westbound I-70 to westbound I-670.
The Baltimore bridge is being replaced because it is nearing the end of its service life, McGregor said.
Its replacement, which will cost about $3.2 million, will be the same height and width and the existing decorative fencing will be re-attached to the new bridge. The new bridge is expected to be completed in December.
