LEE'S SUMMIT, MO - The Missouri Department of Transportation has been working diligently to complete the new Strother Road Interchange just north of Colbern Road on I-470 and is progressing as scheduled, moving into phase three of the project. Motorists will encounter changes as they drive through the area.

            Crews recently completed the new bridges on north and southbound lanes of I-470.  Approximately 125,000 cubic yards of dirt and rock was excavated to construct the two bridges, allowing Strother Road to be built beneath the interstate.  Currently, the two east ramps for the Strother Road interchange and the auxiliary lane for northbound I-470 from the Route 291 on ramp to the Strother Road off ramp are under construction.  Traffic has been shifted back to the mainline of I-470 and the temporary bypass has been removed.

Work on Strother Road under I-470 will continue. The intersection at Independence Avenue and Ralph Powell has been closed to tie the side streets into the new interchange at Strother Road and I-470 through December. Traffic will be detoured around the closure. Those traveling north on Independence Avenue will be sent west onto Jones Industrial Drive, north onto NE Hagen Road, east onto NE Strother Road and north onto NE Meadowview Drive to reach Ralph Powell Road. Those traveling south on Ralph Powell will be sent west onto NE Meadowview Drive, to west on Strother Road, south on NE Hagen Road and east on Jones Industrial Drive to reach Independence Avenue. 

After enhancing this intersection, Strother Road and the ramps will be paved. Traffic signals, lighting, signing and guardrails will be installed. The entire project is expected to be complete by Fall 2010.

The Strother Road Interchange is being built in a cooperative effort between the City of Lee's Summit and the Missouri Department of Transportation. This project is included on the list of Regionally Significant project maintained by the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC), the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Kansas City region. This proposed interchange and local access is vital to the successful growth of the area. It will improve traffic flow and reduce congestion, provide better access to local businesses, improve emergency response time, and encourage economic growth in this part of Lee's Summit.

For more information about other MoDOT projects, please visit MoDOT's Website at www.modot.mo.gov/kansascity. For instant updates, follow MoDOT_KC on Twitter or send questions and comments to kccommunityrelations@modot.mo.gov.

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