Around the District

Construction projects abound through District 4. It is the busiest construction season District 4 has ever had! Every county has projects in process. Review some of the most current projects for your county that are under construction. 

I-470 Repairs Underway

It certainly isn't something you see every day. But on July 17, MoDOT crews on the Interstate I-470 interchange watched as a crack grew quickly into one large hole.

Highway engineers had been inspecting the roadway following more than two months of frequent rain. They noticed cracked concrete pavement and nearby ground settlement. They closed the right lane on July 8 to fix what they thought was settling. Within one week, the wet ground gave way and without the foundation supports, the crack grew into a hole in the pavement, pulling concrete and support structure with it.

Even though it lies in a critical east/west interchange, MoDOT crews immediately closed the roadway to keep drivers out of harms way.

Working quickly with local cities, the department mapped out the best detours for drivers to follow on Monday a.m. and encouraged everyone to take extra time for their commute. Despite rerouting more than 60,000 drivers, the detours offered a smooth transition.

Emergency bids were open to all construction firms by Tuesday, and by Friday afternoon, Pyramid Construction, Inc., was on site and removing debris to prepare the site for construction.

A 250-foot bridge expansion will span the existing section of roadway, bypassing the saturated ground soil. Pyramid committed to having the project complete, inspected, and ready for travel by Sept. 15.

"MoDOT's focus is on the convenience and safety to drivers who use this highway and in returning driving conditions back to normal quickly," said MoDOT Interim Director Kevin Keith.  "We have set a firm deadline for the completion of these repairs and we will meet that deadline."

The detours will remain in place for the remainder of the construction. MoDOT will keep close tabs on this project, and updates are always available on the department's facebook page, twitter feed and Web site at www.modot.org/kc.

There is Nothing Minor About This Roadwork! Minor Roads Project in Full Swing.

MoDOT is moving through an aggressive minor roads project that will improve more than 340 miles of less-traveled roads, including outer roads, minor roads, and low-volume routes.

On July 19, the department put the pedal to the asphalt and began the first phase of the minor road improvements with resurfacing more than 78 miles of roads in Henry, Johnson, Lafayette and Ray County including:

Ray County:

  • Route C from Elmira to Route M, about 5.9 miles.

  • Route B from Route K to Route 13, about 6.9 miles.

Lafayette County:

  • Route 23 from Route 24 to Route 20, about 6.5 miles.

  • Route W from Route 20 to the end of the route in Alma, about .8 miles.

  • Route M from I-70 to Route U, about 3.7 miles.

Johnson County:

  • Route OO from Route 13 to Route M, about 12 miles.

  • Route E from Route 13 to Route NN, about 13 miles.

  • Route EE from Route 2 to Route 23, about 5 miles.

  • Route V from Route 13 to the end of the route, about 4 miles.

Johnson/Henry County:

  • Route B from Route 2 to Route K, about 11 miles.

Henry County:

  • Route W from Route 7 to the end of the route, about 6 miles from

This $1.526 million project is just a portion of more than $15 million for 340 miles of minor roads in the Kansas City district. Check out the Minor Roads Online Meeting at www.modot.org/kc for all the details, including schedules by county. 

MoDOT Announces Plan to Put More Funds on the Road

Stagnant state revenues, uncertain federal funding and the completion of Amendment 3 projects has resulted in a dramatic decrease in highway and bridge construction. The Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP) focuses on maintaining good roadways.

To cope with this funding challenge, MoDOT will make some shifts in priority. For example, we will keep major highways in good condition, improve smaller state roads and repair bridges.  In the Kansas City District, funding went from $139 million for construction in 2011 to about $59 million in 2015.  

"Far fewer major projects will begin in the next five years in the Kansas City District," said District Engineer Beth Wright. "Only those to which we've already committed can move forward."

The plan had five primary goals:

• Honor MoDOT’s STIP commitments.
• Keep major roads in good condition.
• Improve minor roads.
• Hold our own on bridges.
• Continue providing outstanding customer service.

You can review the complete STIP with a list of projects for our area on our website at www.modot.org/kc under “Quick Links.”

KCATA to continue enhanced North Oak service after kcICON is complete

There is good news for Northland drivers who “get themselves free” by using enhanced bus services to avoid Interstate 29/35 Connections “kcICON” project construction through July 2011.  The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) will continue to offer the expanded North Oak service after interstate work is complete.

“Total weekday North Oak ridership increased by 28 percent during the first three months we offered the expanded service, and remains steady today,” said KCATA Director of Marketing Cindy Baker. “This effort has proven to be very successful and it’s important that we continue to provide this valuable service to our customers.”

In June 2008, KCATA expanded seating capacity and added a later trip out of downtown Kansas City with additional funding provided by MoDOT and a federal air quality grant.

“We were pleased to partner with the KCATA to offer transit options for those who wanted to avoid our corridor construction,” said kcICON Project Director Brian Kidwell.  “People who use alternative modes of transportation play an important role in helping to reduce traffic congestion and improve safety in our work zones.”

The $245 million kcICON project will reconstruct/rehabilitate 4.7 miles of Interstate 29/35 from just north of Route 210/Armour Road in North Kansas City into the northeast corner of the downtown Kansas City, Mo. freeway loop.  The project includes improving outdated interchanges and the construction of the Christopher S. Bond Bridge – a new landmark, cable-stay Missouri River Bridge.  Additional information is available on the project’s Web site: www.kcicon.com or on Facebook “kcICON Project.”

Route 45: Construction is Moving Forward

The Route 45 Corridor is officially under construction! A critical east/west route in the area, Route 45 hosts as many as 18,000 cars a day. Experts estimate that this high-traffic route could have as many as 53,000 drivers by 2030.

Making this corridor safer for drivers is an important issue at MoDOT. The department will add a lane in each direction, giving vehicles the option to go around stalled vehicles with no chance for a head on collision with opposing traffic. The design for the new roadway is also safer than the existing road.

Expanding such an important corridor is no easy task. Simply relocating utilities alone may take several weeks. So drivers may see a lot of activity along the sides of the road.

The widening project is one of several projects along the corridor that can impact the same drivers:

• Two roundabouts are under construction at Brink-Meyer Road and Union Chapel Road. Brink-Meyer Road will be closed through August to complete construction.
• Union Chapel Road is closed through July 29 to tie into the roundabout.
• Road resurfacing from I-435 to Route K is part of maintaining the existing roadway.
• MO 45 at Short Creek, construction is under way. Bridge is expected to open Aug. 3.

• MO 45 at Sugar Creek is expected to begin Aug. 13, 2010

Keep tabs on this project online on the Route 45 Corridor project page on our website or on MoDot Kansas City on facebook.

From Dirt to Drivers: Watch the Route 13 "East Loop" Project As It Unfolds

It is rare to see a road built from scratch but that’s exactly what residents near Warrensburg can see thanks to a birds-eye web cam. Two cameras are poised to snap continuous pictures of the project for the next few months.

The Route 13 “East Loop” is a two-lane roadway that will pull through traffic from the congested town center to a new, smooth drive around the city center.

The cameras were added to show local residents how the project is progressing. Because it is a new road, effectively away from main traffic corridors, very few residents can see the construction.

In the past few weeks, web viewers can watch the roundabout at Route DD is take shape! Route DD will actually close August 2 to through traffic from Ridgeview Drive to County Road 501 to align with new construction.

This $17.6 million project works in concert with the Route 13 “Gap” project, which has a similar agenda to send traffic to the east of the City of Lexington, separating through and local traffic.

You can follow the progress of this important project on our website or on the MoDOT Kansas City Facebook page.

Cruisin.... Ribbon Cutting, Classic Car Cruise Celebrate North Cass Parkway

A parade of classic cars christened the new interchange at 187th and Route 71 on July 28, and heralded the opening of the North Cass Parkway.

This new interchange will provide access for Raymore on the east side of the highway, connecting to Dean Avenue and Hubach Hill Road.

On the west side, Belton and Peculiar will have new access to the highway from Peculiar Drive.

These interchanges will alleviate traffic congestion at the Route 71 and Route 58 interchange, currently the busiest crossroads in Cass County, by providing quick, attractive alternatives. 

The cities of Belton and Raymore joined with Cass County and MoDOT to fund and build North Cass Parkway interchange two miles south of Route 58 on Route 71. The $10.1 million project is the second of two major projects for the ara.

Late last year MoDOT opened the 163rd Street interchange in Belton, which provides improved access to Route Y and the growing commercial area between Route 58 and Route 71. Belton provided substantial funding for the reconstructed 163rd Street interchange, which now offers more lanes, wider ramps and better access that will connect to Belton's Markey Road improvements.

For more information, review the project details on www.modot.org/kc

Safe & Sound Sweeping the State, Replacing Bridges Quickly and Efficiently

As the Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement Program enters the second year of the five-year project, more residents will see the signs in District 4. In 2010, 47 bridges will be completed in our district, many in the northern half, including Platte, Clay and Lafayette counties.

This program uses a delicate balance of construction and timing to stage each bridge to be completed quickly, efficiently and cost effectively. The schedule moves through county by county to make the best use of materials and man-power by taking care of bridges close together.

In order to meet deadlines, the Safe & Sound program uses an aggressive construction schedule. Most often, the bridges are completely closed for at least 30 days while the old bridge is completely repaired or replaced. Closing the bridge allows the contractor to move quickly to finish all work, then reopen and move to the next bridge.

Crews are working through each bridge along a Route. For example, on Route 7 in Henry County has 3 bridges complete with 2 more to go. When crews complete one bridge, they simply move materials, machines and manpower to the next structure on the route.

In fact, this plan of attack has allowed the contractor to finish ahead of schedule in some cases. In the past year, several bridges have opened a week or more ahead of schedule, including Route KK at Owens Bridge, MO 92 at Williams Creek, Route B Bridge over Knob Creek and the Route O Bridge over Poney Creek.

Review a county-by-county list of all projects for individual project time lines.

Barrel Bob’s Wild Ride

Where in the world is Barrel Bob? That was the question District 4 was asking in July.

On July 8, the district launched an interactive social media campaign to promote work zone awareness. Using Barrel Bob and his cohort Barrel Betty, the community relations team picked two of the busiest construction zones and placed the safety advocates on site. The 10-foot-tall barrel structures encouraged motorists to slow down, merge early and be smart in work zones.

The team then launched a full social media campaign encouraging drivers to (safely) tweet or facebook the location of the Barrels for prizes.

What was intended as a fun, but informative safety campaign, however, ended with an act of vandalism. Bob was taken from his location at U.S. 50 and Bynum Road without authorization one Sunday evening. Barrel Bob was placed in a very active construction zone to send a safety message, and unfortunately his message was not taken seriously.

Once again, the community relations team launched a full social media campaign, employing Facebook, Twitter and Flickr to encourage Bob’s return. He was gone for less than a week.

He had lost his hard hat, but Barrel Bob was recovered in a field in Johnson County and is now safely back at his Kansas City home. Bob and his co-worker Betty are currently in storage for minor repairs and refurbishing but will be ready for their next big engagement in a few weeks at the Missouri State Fair.

Barrel Bob is a creation of Robert Ohl, a Clarkson Construction employee. He took about ten hours to build, and comes in standard safety gear, including a reflective body, hard hat, and safety glasses. Betty, also a donation from Ohl and Clarkson Construction, joined Bob on the job this past February.

This wasn’t the first brush with danger for this safety-conscious couple. Bob was part of a car-vs-barrel accident while serving the kcICON project and Betty was the victim of several paint ball attacks.

Despite damage, the message they bring is always valid and important during this busy construction season. They will be on the job again soon!