KDOT closes eastbound I-70 on the Lewis and Clark Viaduct after inspection raises concerns
Eastbound Interstate 70 on the Lewis and Clark Viaduct suddenly shut down Thursday afternoon after an inspection raised concerns, the Kansas Department of Transportation announced.
The transportation department announced shortly before 2 p.m. on X, formerly Twitter, that the eastbound lanes of the viaduct, which is comprised of a series of bridges connecting the two Kansas Cities, had been closed.
A recent inspection led KDOT engineers to determine that the bridge over the Kansas River needs repairs. As a precaution, the transportation department closed the bridge to vehicle and pedestrian traffic until repairs could be made, the transportation department said in a news release.
“We know that a sudden bridge closure of this magnitude will be a challenge for those who live, work and travel in this area, especially with the closure of other Kansas River crossings in the region,” Kansas Transportation Secretary Calvin Reed said in the news release. “We will work diligently to make these repairs as quickly as possible so that we can get the bridge back open to traffic.”
KDOT didn’t specifically say what the concerns were, but they involved gusset plates, which connect the structural elements of the bridge’s truss together. The plates are fastened by bolts, rivets, welding or a combination of the three.
KDOT estimates the bridge will be closed through the end of the year. The agency has started developing engineering plans for the repairs and expects crews to begin work in a month.
Meanwhile, eastbound I-70 traffic will be detoured onto eastbound Interstate 670. Local traffic can exit eastbound I-70 at Seventh Street, Pacific Avenue, Central Avenue, Fifth Street and the Third and James streets exit.
There is no access to eastbound I-70 from Minnesota Avenue/Fourth Street, Washington Boulevard and Fairfax Trafficway.
Westbound I-70 will remain open over the viaduct, and traffic can exit at Minnesota, Washington and Fairfax. The exit to Central is closed.
The bridge that was closed on Thursday was constructed in 1907 and was modified in 1963 to meet interstate standards. The last major rehabilitation on the bridge was in 2021.
Meanwhile, the westbound I-70 bridge was reconstructed and reopened in 2021.
A study of the Lewis and Clark Viaduct completed more than a decade ago determined that the westbound bridge should be reconstructed first, followed by a second phase to reconstruct the eastbound bridge. KDOT said it has not scheduled the eastbound bridge for reconstruction.
