TRAFFIC: KDOT announces lane closings over Lewis & Clark Viaduct

The Kansas Department of Transportation announced lane closings over the Lewis & Clark Viaduct for this week.

News release:

EXPECT DELAYS! LANE CLOSURES: Westbound I-70 LEFT lane over the Lewis & Clark Viaduct will be CLOSED for bridge inspection work on Wednesday-Thursday, May 8-9 between 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., weather permitting.

EXPECT DELAYS! LANE CLOSURE: Westbound I-70 RIGHT lane over the Lewis & Clark Viaduct will be CLOSED for bridge inspection work on Friday, May 10 between 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., weather permitting.

Drivers should expect delays during the lane closures and should allow extra time for their daytime commutes. Updated daily traffic information for this project can be viewed online at: www.ksdot.org/kcmetro/laneclose.asp.

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.

Construction will effect traffic near Lewis and Clark Viaduct this weekend

News release from the Kansas Department of Transportation

Saturday, November 3:

• Westbound I-70 from Beardsley Road (in Missouri) to near the 5th Street exit ramp (in Kansas City, Kansas) will have traffic impacts for survey work scheduled to take place on Saturday, November 3 between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. 

• Westbound I-70 to Fairfax Trafficway ramp will be closed between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. A marked detour will be provided. Traffic will detour westbound on I-70 to Pacific Avenue, where traffic will be able to turn around and travel back on eastbound I-70 to 3rd Street back to Fairfax Trafficway. 

• Westbound I-70 to Washington Boulevard ramp will be closed between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. There will be no marked detour for this ramp closure. Only one ramp will be closed at a time.    

Sunday, November 4:

• Eastbound I-70 from the I-70 entrance ramp onto the Lewis & Clark Viaduct (in Kansas) to the I-35 exit ramp (in Missouri) will have a mobile traffic control operation that will be in place to protect survey technicians working in the left two lanes on eastbound I-70. This work will be limited durations occurring during the day between approximately 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. 

Project work is scheduled to be completed on Sunday, November 4, weather permitting.

KDOT to host public open house for Lewis and Clark Viaduct

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) is hosting a public open house for the Lewis and Clark Viaduct I-70 Concept Study on Wednesday, August 15.

The public is invited to attend the open house style meeting anytime between 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at the Jack Reardon Convention Center, 520 Minnesota, Kansas City, Kan. For more information, visit: LCViaductI70.ksdot.org.

At the open house, participants can review and provide comments on the preferred concept for the Lewis and Clark Viaduct. KDOT staff and study team members will be on hand to answer questions and discuss the study. This is the third and final public meeting that will be held as part of the concept study.

The Lewis and Clark Viaduct I-70 Concept Study, initiated in March 2011, developed a plan for replacing or rehabilitating the nine bridges included in the viaduct. 

The study team reviewed traffic needs, crash information, land use plans and roadway and bridge alignments in an effort to enhance safety, mobility and efficiency within the interchange area.

The study also included several community engagement opportunities, from an online survey to public open houses and listening sessions.

The plan includes a general phasing recommendation plan based on bridge condition, constructability, and minimizing impacts to the traveling public. The preferred concept will be part of the final Concept Study Report which will conclude the study.

KDOT is moving forward with the first phase of the plan which includes replacement of the westbound bridge from the state line to just west of the Kansas River. Construction is anticipated to begin in the Fall of 2016.

The study began with bridge inspections and data collection efforts, including initial traffic and land use evaluation and community interviews to understand how the existing interchange area is being utilized.

The study team has analyzed the conditions of the bridges included in the viaduct and determined which structures can be rehabilitated or need to be replaced and the order in which the bridge improvements need to be implemented based on condition.

For more information on the study, please visit:  LCViaductI70.ksdot.org, email the study team at LCViaductI70@hntb.com, or contact Kimberly Qualls, Northeast Kansas KDOT Public Affairs Manager, at (785) 640-9340. (KDOT Project #70-105 KA-2130-01)