On Thursday, May 1, a project began to replace the bridge on southbound U.S. 73-K-7 over Piper Creek (located between Leavenworth Road and Parallel Parkway) in Wyandotte County.
Project work includes replacing the existing 24-foot (2 12-foot lanes only) slab bridge structure with a 40-foot (2 12-foot lanes with 8-foot shoulders) haunch slab structure, according to a Kansas Department of Transportation spokesman. Work will take place Monday through Friday during daylight hours.
Crews will begin by installing traffic control and temporary traffic signals at U.S. 73-K-7 and Leavenworth Road intersection. Then sometime in mid-May, northbound and southbound U.S. 73-K-7 traffic will be placed side by side, one lane each direction, in the northbound U.S. 73-K-7 lanes from Parallel Parkway to Donahoo Road throughout the project duration.
Traffic will be directed via signs, cones and arrow boards through the project work zone. There will be a posted speed limit of 55 mph through the project work zone throughout the project duration.
Drivers should expect delays, primarily during heavy peak time commutes, throughout the project duration. Updated traffic information for this project and all Kansas City Metro projects can be viewed online at: www.ksdot.org/kcmetro/laneclose.asp.
Pyramid Contractors of Olathe, Kan., is the primary contractor on this bridge replacement project with a total contract cost of $1.844 million. The scheduled completion date for the entire project is late September 2014, weather permitting.
This project is funded by T-WORKS, the transportation program passed by the Kansas Legislature in May 2010. Find out more about this and other T-WORKS projects at: http://kdotapp.ksdot.org/TWorks/.