There have been 14 car accidents near I-35 and 75th Street since the beginning of April.
One local delivery driver noticed some of the crashes were severe.
“What got my attention is that they’re always destroyed," he said, "and they’re in the ditch upside down, and that’s when it’s a whole other level.”
The driver didn’t want to be identified because he has clients with the city, but he wanted to draw attention to the area.
The accidents listed on the Kansas Highway Patrol and KC Scout sites didn’t just happen during rush hour but all hours of the day.
APRIL 2, 9:37 a.m.
APRIL 7, 6:55 p.m.
APRIL 8, 2:57 PM
APRIL 8, 7:29 PM
APRIL 8, 10:10 AM
APRIL 9, 1:38 PM
APRIL 11, 7:31 AM
APRIL 13, 8:15 AM
APRIL 15, 5:01 PM
APRIL 17, 4:31 PM
APRIL 17, 1:03 PM
APRIL 18, 11:08 AM
APRIL 22, 12:09 AM
APRIL 23, 11:02 AM
In 2012, KDOT wrapped up a three-year construction project connecting I-69 to I-35 with an exit ramp to 75th street.
In the 1.5-mile stretch, six lanes become three, and the driver was concerned that the nearly $84 million project only fixed part of the problem.
“I didn’t know why it happened, then when I took a closer look, [I thought it was] the speed there and the fact that so many lanes are getting over that they’re forcing their way in there,” he said.
A spokesperson with Overland Park said drivers haven’t alerted the city to any major problems involving the intersection, but would be willing to look into the issue and work with KDOT to find a solution if a problem exists.
The driver thought maybe reducing the speed limit in the mile-long stretch could reduce the number of crashes.
KDOT said they look at data in regard to all highway safety and try to plan improvements from there.
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Shannon Halligan can be reached at shannon.halligan@kshb.com.
