11-Month Closure of I-70 in 2027
Interstate 70 will close in Kansas City for 11 months - from Jan. 2027 until Dec. 2027 - between The Paseo and Van Brunt Blvd. Drivers will be encouraged to seek alternate routes.
Countdown to Closure
Announcement Video
Why are we closing I-70?
MoDOT recognizes this closure of I-70 will have significant impacts. However, closing the interstate for the mainline I-70 work creates several advantages compared to doing the work under typical staged construction.
Advantage #1: Faster Completion - The full closure shortens the overall project by approximately one year as it allows crews to work across the entire corridor, utilize multiple operations simultaneously, and maintain consistent production throughout the day without repeated traffic control setup and removal.
Advantage #2: More Improvements, Same Project Budget - A full closure allows construction to occur more efficiently. These efficiencies reduce construction costs and allow for more improvements to be completed within the project's fixed budget. Because of the savings generated through the closure approach, the project now includes:
- Replacement of bridges that would otherwise have required rehabilitation rather than replacement.
- Extension of the new eastbound fourth lane through the Manchester Bridge, improving long-term traffic operations.
Advantage #3: Shorter, more reliable travel - While a full closure requires drivers to choose alternate routes, it provides a more predictable commute than maintaining a single lane of traffic through the work zone. Traffic modeling showed that if I-70 WB were reduced to a single lane:
- Even with that diversion, traffic speeds on I-70 would be expected to drop below 20 miles per hour during peak travel periods with approximately 50-minute delays
- A crash, disabled vehicle, or emergency response within a sing-lane work zone could bring traffic to a standstill and create significant delays.
- Approximately two-thirds of drivers would likely divert to an alternate route anyway.
Advantage #4: Safety - By temporarily removing live interstate traffic from the work zone, crews can perform their work without continuous interaction with high-speed traffic - reducing the potential for work zone intrusions and allowing construction activities to proceed in a more controlled environment. At the same time, motorists are removed from an active construction zone and directed onto permanent roadways designed to safely carry traffic.
Detour Information
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During the closure of I-70, drivers are encouraged to seek alternative routes.
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For local traffic near the project area, MoDOT plans to minimize impacts by keeping nearly all of the streets crossing I-70 opened during construction.
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Metro-area traffic is encouraged to utilize the highway system throughout Kansas City to navigate the closure. This includes I-435, I-35, I-29, I-635, US-71, or other alternate routes.
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For those traveling from the downtown Kansas City area to the Truman Sports Complex area and vice versa, MoDOT recommends drivers seek an alternative route such as I-35 and I-435 to the north or US-71 and I-435 to the south.
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MoDOT will detour regional travelers passing through the KC area on I-70 to use I-435 and I-470 to loop south of the closure. Travelers on the Missouri and Kansas side will be directed to this route using Kansas City Scout’s overhead message boards.
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Drivers are encouraged to utilize GPS and other navigational tools to find the best route for their specific travels. They are also encouraged to use the MoDOT Traveler Information map for the latest road conditions and traffic impacts.
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Drivers are asked to plan ahead and expect possible delays as they travel.
Detour Map
Potential Alternative Routes
From Downtown KC to the Stadiums
Alternative route: I-35 NB to I-435 SB.
Other alternative route: US-71 SB to I-435 NB
From the Stadiums to Downtown KC
Alternative route: I-435 NB to I-35 SB
Other alternative route: I-435 SB to US-71 NB
From Airport to I-70 EB (Independence/Blue Springs area)
Alternative route: I-435 EB to I-435 SB
From Independence/Blue Springs area to Airport
Alternative route: I-435 NB to I-435 WB
From Kansas City, KS to I-70 EB (Independence/Blue Springs area)
Alternative route: I-635 NB to I-29 SB to I-35 NB to I-435 SB
From Independence/Blue Springs area to Kansas City, KS
Alternative route: I-435 NB to I-35 SB to I-29 NB to I-635 SB
From western KC Metro (Legends, Bonner Springs, etc.) to eastern KC Metro (Independence, Blue Springs, etc.)
Alternative route: I-435 SB to I-435 EB to I-470 WB to I-470 NB to I-70
From eastern KC Metro (Independence, Blue Springs, etc.) to western KC Metro (Legends, Lenexa, etc.)
Alternative route: I-470 SB to I-470 WB to I-435 WB to I-435 NB to I-70
