Lanes, ramps to be closed on weekend for Gibbs Road bridge over I-635

A look at construction on the new Gibbs Road bridge over I-635, view from Gibbs Road looking south over I-635. (KDOT photo)
A look at construction on the new Gibbs Road bridge over I-635, view from Gibbs Road looking south over I-635. (KDOT photo)

Bridge girders are scheduled to be set this weekend for the new Gibbs Road bridge over I-635 in Kansas City, Kan.

The construction work will result in lane and ramp closures, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation.

Southbound I-635 lane closures will take place between I-70 and Shawnee Drive on Friday night, and between Speaker Road and Merriam Lane on Saturday night.

Northbound I-635 lane closures will take place between Speaker Road, on the north end, to Merriam Lane, on the south end, both nights.

Friday, Aug. 1 – reopens at 6 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 2:
7 p.m. Northbound and southbound I-635 will be reduced to two open lanes
9 p.m. Northbound and southbound I-635 will be reduced to one open lane
10 p.m. Ramps from I-70 to southbound I-635 closed
Ramps from K-32 to southbound I-635 closed
Ramps from Metropolitan Avenue to southbound I-635 closed
Full closure overnight of southbound I-635 at K-32.

Ramps from eastbound and westbound I-70 to I-635 and from K-32 to southbound I-635 will be closed. Traffic will follow a marked detour to 18th Street Expressway.

Saturday, Aug. 2 – reopens at 6 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 3:
7 p.m. Northbound and southbound I-635 will be reduced to two open lanes
9 p.m. Northbound and southbound I-635 will be reduced to one open lane
10 p.m. Ramps from northbound and southbound I-35 to northbound I-635 closed
Ramps from Shawnee Drive to northbound I-635 closed

There will be intermittent slowdown on northbound I-635 and on the Merriam Lane to northbound I-635 ramp to allow for bridge girder placement. There are five different girder sections, so there will be five times that these traffic slowdowns will occur.

Ramps from northbound and southbound I-35 to I-635 will be closed. Traffic will detour via I-35 to 18th Street Expressway to I-70. There will be rolling roadblocks for northbound I-635 traffic throughout the overnight hours to allow for the placement of the bridge girders.

The Kansas Department of Transportation urges all motorists to be alert, obey the warning signs, and slow down when approaching and driving through the project work zone. The scheduled completion date for the entire project is early September 2014, weather permitting, according to KDOT.