Saturday, December 20, 2014

WYANDOTTE COUNTY TRAFFIC UPDATE: Westbound I-70 to Southbound K-7 loop ramp to open Monday


KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- On Monday, December 22 at 9:00 a.m., weather permitting, the new westbound I-70 to southbound K-7 loop ramp (see ramp C in above photo) is set to FULLY OPEN to unrestricted traffic in Bonner Springs.

Crews must complete pavement marking work before the ramp can be fully reopened to all traffic. If pavement marking work is not completed in time due to wet weather, the ramp will then reopen either on Tuesday or Wednesday, December 23-24, weather permitting.

Once the new westbound I-70 to southbound K-7 loop ramp (see ramp C in above photo) is opened to all traffic, within one to two days (Tuesday-Wednesday, December 23-24), weather permitting, the left turn lanes from the existing westbound I-70 to southbound K-7 ramp will be removed. Westbound I-70 traffic will no longer use this existing ramp to exit onto southbound K-7. The only movements available from the existing westbound I-70 to southbound K-7 ramp will be either right turns onto northbound K-7 or the through lane movement onto Canaan Drive. (See graphic below for the pavement marking plan at K-7 and Canaan Drive.)

Once the left turn lanes on the existing ramp are removed, westbound I-70 traffic wanting to access southbound K-7 MUST use the new westbound I-70 to southbound K-7 loop ramp C shown in the map above.

Updated daily traffic information for this project and for the entire Kansas City Metro Area can be viewed online any time at: www.ksdot.org/kcmetro/laneclose.asp.

The K-7 & I-70 Interchange Project construction handout for Phases 1 and 2A-2B, including phasing schedule and traffic impacts, is available online at:  http://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/kcMetro/pdf/K-7%20and%20I-70%20Phase%202B%20Project%20Handout.pdf

The Kansas Department of Transportation urges all motorists to be alert, obey the warning signs, and “Give ‘Em a Brake!” when approaching and driving through the project work zone.

This ramp work is part of the K-7 & I-70 Interchange Project Phase 1 construction. Clarkson Construction is the project contractor on this $18 million construction Phase 1 project. This portion of the project work is scheduled to be completed in late Fall 2014.