I-70 east of downtown Kansas City to shut down all weekend. Here’s a timeline
Drivers traveling to and from downtown Kansas City this weekend should expect significant delays from a major highway closure.
Interstate 70 will be shut down in both directions between East 23rd Street and the U.S. 40/East 31st Street interchange from 8 p.m. Friday until 6 a.m. Monday as crews demolish two bridges in the area, according to Matthew Rinehart, senior communications specialist with the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Kansas City District, in a news release.
Drivers are encouraged to avoid the area. A signed detour will be in place.
During the closure, crews will demolish the Cleveland Avenue and 27th Street bridges that span over I-70 as part of the Improve I-70 KC project.
Here’s what to expect on Friday:
At 9 a.m., the ramps from Jackson Avenue and Van Brunt Boulevard to I-70 will close.
At noon, the ramps from Indiana Avenue to eastbound I-70 and from U.S. 40/East 31st Street to westbound I-70 will shut down.
At 2 p.m., the ramp from 23rd Street to eastbound I-70 will close.
At 6 p.m., the two left lanes of westbound I-70, from Manchester Trafficway to U.S. 40/East 31st Street, will close.
At 8 p.m., the two left lanes of eastbound I-70, from Prospect Avenue to East. 23rd Street, will shut down.
At 8 p.m., I-70 in both directions between East 23rd Street and the U.S. 40/East 31st Street interchange will be closed.
All lanes and ramps are expected to reopen to traffic by 6 a.m. Monday.
The work is part of the Improve I-70 KC project, a five-mile stretch between The Paseo and U.S. 40/East 31st Street, which was built in the early 1960s. That stretch of the highway carries about 120,000 vehicles a day.
The $237 million project will replace the aging infrastructure, aimed at improving traffic congestion during the rush hour and reducing traffic crashes.
The project includes rehabilitating or replacing 12 interchanges and 26 bridges. The project, which began in the spring of last year, is expected to be completed by December 2028.
