Johnson County traffic alert: How U.S. 69 road construction will disrupt your commute

Construction so far on widening U.S. 69 in Overland Park has touched scattered areas, mostly avoiding rush hour traffic.

Heads up, drivers, that’s about to change.

Officials say the “first significant traffic pattern change” starts in June, when a large swath of the the expansion project, from 103rd to 151st streets, will have narrower lanes and shoulders. Every day outside of regular commute times — between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. and also at night — some lanes will be closed.

Ramps and bridges won’t always be open. For example, the ramp from eastbound 135th Street to northbound U.S. 69 will close for about six months beginning this summer.

Already for 90 days, the northbound highway at 151st Street is down to a single lane during bridge widening work, until early June.

In early May, a stretch of 143rd Street will shut down almost every night because of work on the southbound U.S. 69 bridge there.

In a ceremony earlier this year, state leaders broke ground to mark the start of the project to widen the highway to six lanes from 103rd to 151st streets — paid for in part by making one lane in each direction an express toll lane. Drivers could choose to pay a toll in the far left lane for a faster commute, costing a a maximum $1.75 per trip. The other lanes will remain free.

The express lanes are expected to open in 2025.

Crews so far have been clearing and preparing the highway for summer construction, mostly south of 135th Street, said Steve Rockers, Kansas Department of Transportation project director. But he said drivers will start to see major traffic changes.

“Work is progressing rapidly, which means that traffic configurations change frequently,” Rockers said. “Please practice safe driving skills through the work zone: Put down your devices, pay extra attention to work zone signage and slow down. Be extra cautious around workers and construction vehicles and give them space to do their job safely.”

Why add U.S. 69 toll lanes?

Kansas will add its first-ever express toll lanes on U.S. 69.

KDOT says the expansion is needed to relieve growing congestion on the state’s busiest highway and to improve safety, where crash rates are 53% higher than the statewide average. Roughly 90,000 vehicles travel the corridor every day, with traffic volumes now exceeding pre-pandemic levels.

The highway is expected to be increasingly strained as more people move to southern Johnson County. And existing pavement and bridges are over 50 years old and overdue for replacement.

“Travel times were projected to triple by 2040 if no capacity improvements to U.S. 69 were made, according to early studies,” Rockers said. “The improvements to U.S. 69 will significantly reduce congestion and congestion-related crashes. Express lanes are expected to effectively manage congestion on U.S. 69 for many years, preventing the need for continual addition of more lanes.”

KDOT and business leaders have touted the express lanes as the most efficient and equitable way to widen the crowded highway. But several residents have raised concerns that the “Lexus lane” model prioritizes the wealthy.

A KDOT study determined that adding the express lanes was the most cost effective and environmentally friendly option. The agency previously estimated that express lanes would be roughly $85 million cheaper than a traditional widening project, which would require more roadway and bridges to be constructed to help vehicles exit and enter the highway.

How will tolls be collected?

The toll will be collected digitally, with drivers charged after their K-Tag or license plate number is automatically scanned.

Rates will fluctuate, rising during rush hour. KDOT has estimated that toll rates between 103rd and 151st streets will vary from 30 cents to $1.75 per trip, depending on how far the driver travels in the lane and the time of day.

Such express lanes have been built in other metro areas, like Salt Lake City, Denver, Minneapolis and Austin, Texas.

The express lanes and the regular lanes will be separated by a double white line. Drivers can enter and exit the express lanes where there are breaks in the double white line. And there will be toll lane entrance and exit ramps at Blue Valley Parkway.

What will the tolls pay for?

The first phase of work includes construction north of 151st Street, at a cost of $300 million.

The Overland Park City Council in 2021 approved adding the express toll lanes to help fund the expansion, which a panel of Kansas lawmakers and Gov. Laura Kelly approved.

“69Express will ensure that commuters can travel quickly and safely to their destinations and move freight efficiently throughout the state, further cementing Kansas as critical to interstate commerce,” Kelly said in a statement during the February groundbreaking. “This is a smart investment for our state, and I’m so glad we’re finally moving dirt and getting this done.”

The toll revenue will pay for Overland Park’s $20 million contribution. It could take until 2042 to collect that sum, officials previously estimated.

The entire project’s budget is $570 million, Rockers said.

KDOT plans to later expand the work south to 179th Street.

Improving interchanges

Overland Park leaders in 2021 agreed to kick in another $10 million to fund the reconstruction of the 167th Street interchange.

That work, from Metcalf Avenue to Antioch Road, was accelerated thanks to the passage of the federal infrastructure bill. The $30 million project will also be paid for with $15 million in federal funds, plus $5 million from the state.

In addition to alleviating congestion, reconstructing the interchange also will better serve the newly expanded AdventHealth South Overland Park Hospital. The work includes updating bridges and widening 167th Street to four lanes. The interchange now only provides an exit ramp for southbound traffic and an entrance ramp for northbound U.S. 69 traffic. The project will convert it into a full interchange with access in both directions.

The project also includes reconfiguring the interchanges at Blue Valley Parkway and at Interstate 435. Work will also improve the southbound segment between Blue Valley Parkway and 135th Street, which sees the worst congestion during evening rush hours, according to a previous KDOT study.

Heading south, the Blue Valley Parkway entrance ramp will be moved from the left side of U.S. 69 to the right, eliminating the current weave to 135th Street. Crews will also add ramps connecting the express toll lane and Blue Valley Parkway, officials previously said.

Noise walls

KDOT will build 11 noise walls along the highway, starting at 151st Street and primarily along the residential areas up to Indian Creek near 119th Street.

Rockers said the walls will match those previously constructed along U.S. 69 north of I-435. Work is estimated to begin late this year.

What will close, and when?

After the express lanes open in 2025, remaining construction is expected to end the following year.

Until then, here’s what to expect:

▪ Northbound U.S. 69 highway at 151st Street is reduced to just one lane through early July for bridge work, and ramps there may be closed. KDOT advises drivers to seek alternate routes.

▪ From early May to mid-May, 143rd Street will close most nights for U.S. 69 bridge work. The road will close starting at 5 p.m. Sundays and 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and reopen by 6 a.m. each day. A detour will take traffic to 151st Street along either Metcalf Avenue or Antioch Road.

▪ Starting in June and into the fall, highway lanes will be closed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and at night. During rush hour, two lanes will be open in each direction, but they’ll be narrowed.

▪ The ramp from eastbound 135th Street to northbound U.S. 69 will close for about six months beginning this summer.

▪ In 2024, crews will work from 151st Street north to 135th Street, and from 119th Street north to I-435. That summer, drivers can expect closures at 119th Street for 60 days. For 90 days, there will be work and closures at 143rd and 139th streets. And crews will reconstruct Blue Valley Parkway.

▪ In the summer of 2025, construction will be focused north of 135th Street to I-435.

Construction and lane closure updates can be found at 69express.org.