Johnson County Gateway Swings Into Service

The meeting of routes 35, 435 and K-10 is about to become a much more driver-friendly meeting as the Johnson County Gateway swings into full effect over the coming week.

Yesterday in Lenexa, officials celebrated a ribbon-cutting for the completion of the two-and-a-half year, $288 million project intended to make the convergence of I-35, I-435 and K-10 easier to navigate for the more than 230 thousand vehicles that travel the Gateway corridor each day and for the many more that are expected in the coming years.

“With the number of vehicles expected to grow to 380,000 by 2040,” said Acting Transportation Secretary Richard Carlson, “drivers will now experience commutes with improved efficiency, decreased travel delays and safer travel through the I-435/I-35/K-10 interchange.”

Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, who was on hand for the occasion, said, “The addition of 56 new highway lane miles and more than 27 new and rehabbed bridges, the project provides a conduit for increased economic development, safe travel and the movement of freight.”

The Gateway is Kansas’ first major design-build project, a construction method authorized under the T-WORKS transportation program. Under this approach, the design-build team works under a single contract with the project owner to provide design and construction services. With this method, construction can begin at the same time designers are finalizing later phases of the project.