KDOT starts $26 million repair of key bridge connecting southern Johnson County
A southern Johnson County city bridge will get a facelift after years of delays and push from the city to get it replaced.
Starting on Monday, the Kansas Department of Transportation will work to replace Gardner Road Bridge over Interstate 35 along with other improvements on the interstate.
The multiphased, $26 million project is set to be complete in November 2027 — during which KDOT will replace the Gardner Road Bridge over I-35 and add turn lanes, shoulders, lighting improvements and pedestrian facilities. The agency will also add an additional lane on the southbound I-35 to Gardner Road exit ramp and make improvements to 191st Street east of Gardner Road.
Originally built in 1959, the bridge connects Gardner over I-35 and it’s used as the city’s southern access point to the interstate, Edgerton and nearby warehouses, according to Johnson County Post Reporting.
The bridge has been in need of repairs for years, with a four-foot hole recently opening on the bridge in March. While it was temporarily fixed with a steel plate, long-term repairs are needed as Gardner and other parts of southwest Johnson County see more development come online and its populations steadily increase.
Gardner, Edgerton, De Soto and other parts of southwest Johnson County are seeing their populations swell in recent years as more housing and industrial development comes online. Pruetting said that this repair project is “essential to meeting the safe and efficient travel needs of our rapidly growing city.”
“The City of Gardner has pushed for this long-delayed project for several years,” City Administrator Jim Pruetting said. “Although the bridge has remained functional, the deterioration of the parapets and bridge deck has long been a source of concern for the city and those who utilize the bridge.”
The multiphased project will eventually lead to a diamond design that will help accommodate future growth, he said.
According to the Mid America Regional Council’s 2050 transportation plan, this type of interchange is wider — making it more pedestrian and bike friendly as well as promoting greater freight movement on and off I-35.
Work will be conducted Monday through Friday, with Saturdays as needed, from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Lane restrictions on weekdays will be limited to 9 a.m. through 3 p.m. Winter shutdowns are scheduled from December 2025 to March 2026 and December 2026 to March 2027.
During phase one of the project, which runs from Sept. 9 to December 2025, Gardner Road, the I-35 interchange ramps, and 191st Street are expected to remain open to traffic.
Northbound and southbound I-35 at Gardner Road will be reduced to one lane intermittently to install temporary concrete safety barriers and daily, short-term single lane and shoulder closures will be announced at a later date.
Visit KanDrive.gov or call 511 for current road conditions.