Traffic alert: Part of I-70 in Kansas City to close. What drivers need to know
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- MoDOT will close I-70 east of downtown 8 p.m. Friday through 6 a.m. Monday.
- Ramps and lanes will close starting 9 a.m. Friday; crews will demolish two bridges.
- Work is part of $237M Improve I-70 KC project, spanning to December 2028.
Crews will close Interstate 70 east of downtown Kansas City this weekend for demolition of two bridges, transportation officials announced.
The heavily traveled highway will be closed between East 23rd Street and the U.S. 40/East 31st Street interchange east of downtown from about 8 p.m. Friday until around 6 a.m. Monday, the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Kansas City District said in a news release.
Before the shutdown, drivers will see several on- and off-ramps to I-70 close, beginning around 9 a.m. Friday.
During the closure, crews will demolish the Lister Avenue Bridge and the pedestrian bridge at Oakley Avenue over I-70. They will also install a waterline.
No signed detour will be in place; however, drivers will be directed to use various highways in the metro to bypass the closure, MoDOT said.
Here’s what to expect ahead of the shutdown:
Around 9 a.m., the on- and off-ramps to I-70 will close at East 27th Street, Jackson Avenue and Van Brunt.
Around noon, the on-ramp to eastbound I-70 from Indiana Avenue and the on-ramp to westbound U.S. 40 will close.
Around 6 p.m., the two left lanes of westbound I-70 from Manchester Trafficway to U.S. 40 will close.
Around 8 p.m., the two left lanes on eastbound I-70 from Prospect Avenue to East 23rd Street will close.
At about 8 p.m., eastbound and westbound I-70 will close between East 23rd Street and the U.S. 40/East 31st Street interchange. All lanes and ramps are expected to reopen by 6 a.m. Monday.
The work is part of the $237 million “Improve I-70 KC” project, a five-mile stretch of I-70 between The Paseo and U.S. 40/East 31st Street in Kansas City. During the project, crews will replace aging infrastructure and address heavy traffic congestion during rush hours and traffic crashes.
The project includes the rehabilitation or replacement of 12 interchanges and 26 bridges. Construction began this spring and is expected to be completed by December 2028.
The project’s goals are to enhance safety and reliability on I-70, maintain area bridges and pavement, and improve community access while minimizing traffic disruptions, the transportation department said.
This story was originally published November 7, 2025 at 8:31 AM.
