Kansas Department of Transportation
KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- Kansas Department of Transportation Secretary Mike King, along with officials from Lenexa and Olathe, celebrated the completion of two key milestones today in the mega Johnson County Gateway project.
With the new K-10 and Ridgeview Road interchange in Olathe serving as the backdrop, Secretary King, Lenexa Mayor Mike Boehm, Olathe Mayor Michael Copeland, Gateway Interchange Constructors’ Bill Clarkson and KDOT Project Director Burt Morey cut the ribbon to mark the completion of the K-10 and Ridgeview Road diverging diamond interchange and College Boulevard improvements.
“We know this massive project comes with many traffic delays and we understand what this means to commuters,” said Secretary King. “We know with each project step completed, drivers will experience the improved benefits that each phase brings to their daily travels.”
The College Boulevard improvement project includes the widening from two lanes to four lanes from Renner Boulevard to Ridgeview Road. This will also serve as a detour option while construction continues on K-10.
Kansas’ third diverging diamond interchange at K-10 and Ridgeview Road will help to serve existing and future development in the area.
The new Olathe Convention Center (where today’s event was held) will open this fall in the southeast corner of the interchange and the city of Lenexa plans to extend Ridgeview Road north of the interchange to Prairie Star Parkway in the near future.
KDOT also announced that by early next week, the new eastbound K-10 to northbound I-435 two-lane flyover bridge ramp is scheduled to open to all traffic.
This will provide commuters a more efficient movement as they navigate from one interstate to another.
More than 230,000 vehicles use the I-435/I-35/K-10 interchange and that number is estimated to grow to 380,000 by 2040. This traffic volume, along with economic development potential, declining infrastructure and roadway safety concerns, are among the key reasons for much needed improvements in the interchange area.
Gateway Interchange Constructors is the design-build team that is completing the project’s Phase 2 construction work. GIC is a joint venture led by Kansas City, Mo.-based Clarkson Construction Co., which has partnered with Kiewit Infrastructure Co. Additional key members of the team include local design firms HDR Engineering, Inc. and George Butler Associates, Inc.
The $288 million, three-year Gateway project is the state’s first major design-build project. Construction on Phase 2 is scheduled to be substantially complete by December 31, 2016.
For more information on the design-build process or the Johnson County Gateway Project, please contact Burt Morey, KDOT Project Manager, at (913) 764-4525 or bmorey@ksdot.org. Additional background information can be found on the project website: www.jocogateway.com.
For information on other Kansas City Metro Area Projects, please contact Kimberly Qualls, Northeast Kansas Public Affairs Manager, at (785) 640-9340 or kqualls@ksdot.org.
