The Kansas Department of Transportation (KSDOT) is looking towards the future with its 69Express project which is expected to be created in 2025. KSDOT recently had a groundbreaking for the project, which will be Kansas' first ever express toll lane.
According to KSDOT, traffic on U.S. 69 is expected to increase 450% by 2050. The project will widen U.S. 69 from just south of 151st Street to just north of 103rd Street in Overland Park in order to combat traffic congestion.
The project also seeks to add two new toll lanes on U.S. 69 with “dynamic pricing” used to manage congestion by maintaining a free flow of traffic in the express lanes and reducing traffic in the two non-tolled lanes.
KSDOT also wants to modify interchanges that connect U.S. 69 to local streets along with a new interchange at 167th Street.
“69Express will ensure that commuters can travel quickly and safely to their destinations and move freight efficiently throughout the state, further cementing Kansas as critical to interstate commerce,” Governor Laura Kelly (D) noted in a statement. “This is a smart investment for our state, and I’m so glad we’re finally moving dirt and getting this done.”
Shailen Bhatt, administrator of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) said some of the funding for the project is coming from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
“We’re proud to support the Kansas DOT and its partners in investing to make one of the state’s busiest travel corridors safer for all users – whether they are moving freight or trying to get to work on time,” Bhatt said.
“This project will improve safe travel and accommodate the growth needs of strong local economies throughout the entire Kansas City region,” he added.
The project is in the pre-construction phase with full construction expected to begin in the Spring of this year, according to KSDOT.
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Source: AASHTO
