WYANDOTTE COUNTY TRAFFIC ALERT: I-35 from 95th Street to Southwest Boulevard

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- News release from the Kansas Department of Transportation:

The roadway pavement along I-35 from 95th Street to Southwest Boulevard is experiencing significant wear and tear resulting in multiple potholes on short stretches of the interstate. Kansas Department of Transportation maintenance forces have been providing ongoing repair of these potholes on this portion of the interstate these past few months.

Crews performed emergency pothole repair via a mobile spray patching operation through this area today, Friday, June 27 between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

These potholes are not located in just one lane, some actually span the lane width or may be located at the pavement joint where two lanes meet, thus two lanes had to be closed today in order to complete the emergency repairs. The repair work will continue as these pesky potholes continue to reappear over time.

Pothole repair is generally short-term in nature and works well when it is a random spot or two. But in the case of I-35, there are stretches where the pavement needs a permanent fix. As a result, KDOT is currently putting together a preservation project on both northbound and southbound I-35 between 95th Street and Southwest Boulevard to address these areas.

The project will be let sometime in spring 2015 and will include partial and full depth patching along with overlay work on this stretch of I-35. Until then, KDOT crews will continue to monitor this stretch of I-35 and provide ongoing pavement repair as needed.

When KDOT crews complete pavement repair of potholes via spray patching, the spray patch material is often slightly mounded over the hole on the roadway surface. This slight mounding is needed as there is air mixed in with the asphalt so as vehicles travel over the “mounded spot” the asphalt patch is compressed (removing the air void) down into the pothole, where it eventually levels out with the roadway pavement surface.

If crews did not provide the slight mounding, the asphalt would eventually settle below the pavement surface creating a slight dip. The loose lightweight chips are applied to cover the oily adhesive that is sprayed into the hole. To see the spray patching process used by KDOT KC Metro Area maintenance crews in action, please watch this short YouTube video: http://youtu.be/uDecDmW8DmQ  (This video shows KDOT maintenance crews completing the spray patching process on U.S. 69 earlier this spring.)

With approximately 100,000 plus vehicles travelling this stretch of I-35 on a daily basis, we know those pesky potholes are annoying and our KDOT maintenance crews continue to provide ongoing repair to keep your daily commutes as smooth as possible!

We understand your frustration and ask for your patience when our KDOT maintenance crews are out providing emergency repair to keep the pesky potholes under control.

Don’t forget to KNOW B4 U GO, so you can plan your daily commutes accordingly! You can view updated daily traffic information, 24/7 round the clock, for the entire Kansas City Metro Area online at: www.ksdot.org/kcmetro/laneclosure.asp or via KC Scout traffic information online at: www.kcscout.net.