Katrina E. Williams
Northeast News

Construction work will soon be coming to downtown Kansas City on a portion of the Lewis and Clark viaduct.

Lane closures for the reconstruction of the I-70 westbound bridge are scheduled to begin on February 2 at 10 p.m., though temporary closures to install necessary traffic control equipment may take place leading up to the February 2nd closures. The westbound I-70 lane is scheduled to be closed for the duration of the two-year reconstruction project.

The actual demolition, which will make way for reconstruction, is tentatively scheduled for early March, with the exact date and time yet to be determined.

The project has been in the planning stages since 2012, according to Nicole Randall, Director of Communications for the Kansas Department of Transportation.

“The project began with a concept study which evaluated the nine bridges associated with the viaduct, and the I-70 east and westbound lanes were found to have structural issues; they needed to be replaced,” Randall said. “Our engineers worked with Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) and many other stakeholders to determine the appropriate timing and how traffic control issues would be worked out.”

According to the Kansas Department of Transportation, westbound I-70 will be closed from the Broadway interchange in Kansas City, Missouri westward to the connections in downtown Kansas City, Kansas.

The primary detour route will use I-670 westbound and the secondary route will utilize I-35 southbound. The detour to Kansas City, Kansas will use the Central Avenue exit from I-670.

To smooth the way for traffic operations on the Central Avenue exit, a second lane will be added to the 3rd Street/James Street exit ramp from I-70, and temporary signals will be added to two intersections.

Further information and future updates on the project can be found at www.ksdot.org/bureaus/kcMetro