Federal Highway Administration Opens Phase 2 of Johnson County Gateway Project in Kansas City Area |
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Topics: Interstate Highway System
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Federal Highway Administration
29 November 2016
FHWA 60-16
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Contact: Nancy Singer
Tel.: (202) 366-0660
New interchanges to relieve congestion and improve safety
LENEXA, Kan. – Deputy Federal Highway Administrator David S. Kim today joined state and local officials to cut a ceremonial ribbon to open the Johnson County Gateway project’s second phase outside Kansas City, which includes two brand new interchanges linking Interstates 35 and 435 and state highway K-10. When completed, the project will relieve congestion and improve safety in the cities of Lenexa, Olathe and Overland Park.
“This project will strengthen the connections between these communities throughout the metro Kansas City area,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said. “Ultimately, it will enhance roadway safety, improve quality of life and expand opportunities for everyone in Johnson County.”
An estimated 230,000 vehicles use this closely spaced and highly congested road system each day, and traffic volume is expected to increase by more than 50 percent by 2040. This projected growth in congestion for the Kansas City metro region is one example of the challenges outlined in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s “Beyond Traffic” report, which examines the trends and choices facing America’s transportation infrastructure over the next three decades.
The project’s $296 million cost includes $266 million in federal funding. The second phase of the Johnson County Gateway Project is the largest of the three-phased reconstruction of I-435, I-35 and K-10, and includes the expansion of I-435 from 95th Street to I-35.
The project is also the first to use design-build contracting authority in the state, which allowed the same contractor to design and construct this project, completed seven months ahead of schedule. The design-build project delivery method combines the design and construction phases of a project in one contract, which can dramatically accelerate project completion over the traditional design-bid-build process, in which design and construction occur sequentially.
“The design-build contracting approach allows states to deliver projects more quickly and more cost-effectively,” Deputy Administrator Kim said. “Through our Every Day Counts initiative, the FHWA encourages innovations such as these that save time and money for U.S. taxpayers.”
The project’s first phase, completed in 2013, expanded the number of lanes on I-35. Its third and final phase, still to be funded, will expand the number of lanes on K-10 and I-435 and improve two local interchanges.