KANSAS CITY - The new ramp from Route 40 to northbound I-435 opened today, bringing to a close a two year, $39 million project to improve the I-70 and I-435 interchange.

The new ramp is the second part of a new half-diamond interchange connecting Route 40 and I-435 to the north. It is the final piece of the project that relieved the Kansas City area's biggest bottleneck by adding a third lane of I-70 in each direction beneath I-435. Also included in the massive project was construction of a new George Brett Bridge carrying the Blue Ridge Cutoff over I-70, reconfiguring ramps at I-70 and Route 40, adding a collector ramp from eastbound I-70 to northbound and southbound I-435 and to Blue Ridge Cutoff, and a new ramp from southbound I-435 to Route 40, creating a half-diamond interchange at that junction.

Most of the money for these improvements was provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the federal stimulus program.

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