KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The bridge carrying eastbound Interstate 70 over the Kansas River on the Lewis and Clark Viaduct in Kansas City, Kansas, will be closed for months after inspectors raised concerns following a recent inspection.
Kansas Department of Transportation officials announced Thursday the stretch of interstate would be closed starting near 3rd Street in downtown KCK.
Motorists can still access downtown Kansas City, Missouri, and points east by taking the Interstate 670 route.
During the recent evaluation, inspectors found issues with gusset plates on the bridge, prompting the closure.
The plates are used to connect truss members of a bridge together.
The inspection revealed repairs were necessary, and KDOT officials made the decision to close the bridge “out of an abundance of caution.”
“The safety of the traveling public is the reason the decision was made to close this bridge,” KDOT Secretary Calvin Reed said Thursday in a release. “We know that a sudden bridge closure of this magnitude will be a challenge for those who live, work and travel in this area, especially with the closure of other Kansas River crossings in the region. We will work diligently to make these repairs as quickly as possible so that we can get the bridge back open to traffic.”
Westbound I-70 will remain open in the area.
The bridge undergoing emergency repairs was built in 1907, with updates in 1963 to bring it in line to interstate standards.
The bridge underwent rehabilitation work as recently as 2021.
KDOT says inspections of the bridge are required at least once a year.
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