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$65M bridge project along westbound 1-70 complete

This week marks the completion and reopening of the Lewis & Clark Viaduct project, albeit one year late. The project worked to fix a series of bridges located on 1-70 over the Kansas River. Reconstruction costs totaled roughly $65 million to fix the roadway linking KCK and KCMO.

After a year’s delay, the completion of the $65 million reconstruction of the Lewis and Clark Viaduct that links Kansas City, Kan. and Kansas City, Mo. was celebrated Monday.

The work, which closed down westbound traffic on Interstate 70 over the Kansas River for three years, involved the removal and replacement of nine bridges originally built in 1962. The half-mile section of I-70 reopened on Jan. 23.

Kelly noted the 59-year-old, 20-span viaduct had deteriorated significantly, which was requiring nearly $1 million in maintenance costs each year to keep the structure safe and operable.

Kansas City-based Burns & McDonnell was responsible for designing the first phase of the multiphase project for the Kansas Department of Transportation. Construction of the westbound phase was completed as a design-bid-build project by American Bridge Co., which is based in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania.

According to a Monday release, a second phase of the project is expected to replace the eastbound section of I-70 while a third phase will add flyover ramps to carry westbound interstate traffic over the river. It’s unclear when the next phase will begin.