Olathe’s largest-ever infrastructure project, the I-35/Santa Fe Corridor Improvements, has entered a new phase. Demolition along the I-35/Santa Fe corridor is complete, and the city has begun relocating utility lines this summer.

Project Overview

The $285 million project will be phased out over the coming years. The work on the I-35 and Santa Fe interchange consists of two separate but overlapping projects called ‘I-35/Santa Fe Forward.’ The first project, managed by the Kansas Department of Transportation, includes widening and reconstructing parts of I-35 between Santa Fe and 119th Street. The second project, managed by the city, will rebuild the Santa Fe interchange.

Assistant City Engineer Therese Vink told the city council in June that there won’t be full road closures during this phase — only occasional lane and sidewalk closures. Construction on the KDOT portion of the project is expected to begin toward the end of this year and continue through 2028.

Impact on Local Traffic

Drivers should expect some road closures during that time, including the intersection of Mahaffie Street and Old Highway 56, which will stay open, according to city officials. The most significant impacts to local traffic won’t come until the city’s portion of the project reaches its final phase in 2029.

The goal is a safer interchange with less traffic congestion. ‘We know our residents want and need a faster, safer route through the heart of our city,’ Mayor John Bacon previously said of the project.

Original reporting: Johnson County Post (Overland Park) — read the source article.