| News Releases
|
Public Information Open House scheduled for Focus
435 project
01/20/2004 |
Overland Park - The Kansas Department of
Transportation (KDOT) and the city of Overland Park will host a public
information open house on January 26, 2004 from 4:30 PM - 7:00 PM to present
information and gather public comment for the Focus 435 project in Overland
Park. The open house will be held at the Overland Park Convention Center, 6000
College Blvd., Meeting Room # 1.
The open house will give the design team the chance to talk with those who live
in the area and drive the route on a regular basis. No formal presentation will
be given during the open house. The public is invited to stop by at anytime to
learn about the project, view displays, and talk with the engineers working on
the project.
The Focus435 project includes the construction of a new interchange at I-435
and Antioch Road and additional lanes on I-435 between Metcalf Avenue and
US-69. Funding for Focus435 is made possible through the state's System
Enhancement Program (SEP), which is a $1.05 billion component of the 1999
Comprehensive Transportation Program. A total of $161 million in SEP funding is
available to the Focus435 project for construction of initial improvements to
the I-435 and US-69 corridors, as well as right-of-way preservation for the
remaining corridor improvements. Overland Park has committed $12.4 million in
matching funds to the project.
Improvements scheduled for construction are:
1. A new interchange at I-435 and Antioch Road;
2. Widening I-435 from six to eight lanes between Metcalf Avenue and US-69,
with auxiliary lanes between interchanges;
3. A fly-over ramp to replace the existing loop ramp in the southwest quadrant
of the I-435/US-69 interchange;
4. Partial reconstruction of the US-69/103rd Street Interchange.
5. Noise barriers to mitigate noise levels in the area.
(Information about specific noise barrier locations will be available at the
open house.)
In addition to the construction improvements, Focus435 includes design and
right-of-way preservation for other area improvements that do not yet have
construction funding. Preservation efforts will help keep the areas identified
for future corridor improvements from being developed.
The non-construction component of Focus435 includes the design of corridor and
interchange improvements along US-69 from south of the 119th Street Interchange
to north of the 95th Street Interchange; and along I-435 between US-69 and
I-35. These plans will serve as a guide for preserving right-of-way in order to
ensure that construction can take place when funds become available. Many of
these improvements were proposed and studied in the I-35/US-69 Major Investment
Study, which concluded in 2000.
Currently, more than 130,000 vehicles travel daily on I-435 between US-69 and
Metcalf Avenue, and more than 88,000 vehicles travel each day through the US-69
corridor in the area north of I-435. These freeway corridors and the
surrounding interchanges are operating beyond their designed capacity, causing
significant motorist delays, congestion and accidents. Access to the area's
major employers and commercial centers should improve when the project is
completed.
For those unable to attend the open house, updated project information will be
posted on the project web site (www.focus435.org) the week of January 26th. For
more information please call the project hotline at 913-312-4999.
|
| Back to News
|
|
|
|
|