A piece of current US transportation history being made from the Bolivar Herald-Free Press in Bolivar, MO:
New interchange at Mo. 13, I-44 will open Monday
Bridge closing at 10 p.m. Saturday
Published: Friday, June 19, 2009 5:05 AM CDT
Published: Friday, June 19, 2009 5:05 AM CDT
The Kansas Expressway (Mo. 13) bridge over I-44 in north Springfield is scheduled to be closed at 10 p.m. Saturday and reopened early Monday in its new Diverging Diamond Interchange configuration, the Missouri Department of Transportation said.
The bridge closing will require the same driving adjustments and detours used during a similar bridge closing last weekend when the final asphalt driving surface was laid in areas at the interchange.
Drivers need to be aware that the Diverging Diamond Interchange will require a change in driving pattern starting before rush hour Monday morning, June 22.
Under the new Diverging Diamond Interchange configuration, the opposing lanes of Kansas Expressway will criss-cross at traffic signals at the ends of the bridge over I-44. Crossing the bridge, oncoming traffic will be on the right, separated by concrete barriers and screening. This will give left-turning vehicles on Kansas Expressway a “free left” onto the I-44 on-ramps.
At the same time, traffic continuing north or south on Kansas Expressway will be able to travel more steadily through the interchange.
Signs and pavement markings will clearly guide drivers and help prevent making a wrong turn into the opposing lanes.
Concrete islands to help with the traffic flow will be installed in the next few weeks.
Bridge closed, ramps open
Even though the Kansas Expressway bridge will be closed for part of this weekend, the ramps will remain open. However, drivers will only be able to make right turns to enter I-44 from Kansas Expressway or exit from I-44 onto Kansas Expressway.
Drivers on Kansas Expressway who wish to cross I-44 will have to use I-44 to get around the bridge closing:
• Southbound Kansas Expressway (Mo. 13) traffic will be detoured west on I-44 to West Bypass (U.S. 160) to turn around.See Interchange Page 2A
• Northbound Kansas Expressway traffic will be detoured east on I-44 to U.S. 65 and north to County Road 102 (Valley Water Mill Road) to turn around.
During the Kansas Expressway bridge closing, contractor crews will put down permanent pavement markings, install new highway signs, modify the traffic signals and complete other work before reopening the bridge Monday morning in the new Diverging Diamond Interchange configuration.
Bad weather could cause postponement until the following weekend.
Drivers will be able to reach the many businesses along Kansas Expressway during the bridge closing, although it may take a few minutes longer to get there.
Watch out for backups on Kansas Expressway approaching I-44 and on I-44 approaching the off-ramps at Kansas Expressway.
Opening the First-in-USA Diverging Diamond Interchange June 22
When Kansas Expressway is reopened over I-44 on Monday morning, June 22, the interchange will be in the Diverging Diamond Interchange configuration.
The Diverging Diamond Interchange is designed to improve traffic flow through the interchange, although it won’t solve all the congestion problems in that area.
A separate project that will help traffic flow is the relocation further south of a traffic signal at Evergreen Street. This project is also under construction. The existing signal at Evergreen Street will be turned off when the Diverging Diamond Interchange is opened, even though the new signal to the south may not be ready to use.
The Diverging Diamond Interchange at Kansas Expressway and I-44 is the first of its type built in the USA.
Project summary
The prime contractor is Hartman & Co. Construction of Springfield.
The project will:
• Remove existing driving surface on bridge, make deck repairs and put down new driving surface.
• Build pedestrian walkway down center of opposing lanes, divided by concrete barriers and screening paddles.
• Install new traffic signals, new striping and other pavement markings, new overhead signs, new islands, new highway lighting and LED lighting for new pedestrian walkway.• Build new ramp that will enable drivers on the westbound I-44 off-ramp to slip onto Norton Road without getting onto Kansas Expressway.
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