I-35

Transportation topics in KC
KC0KEK
Oak Tower
Oak Tower
Posts: 4855
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2002 6:23 pm
Location: Neither here nor there

Re: I-35

Post by KC0KEK »

I've been wondering about that, too. I know that there's supposed to be a short tunnel, but I can't believe that's it.
skim82
Alameda Tower
Alameda Tower
Posts: 1300
Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2005 9:50 pm
Location: JoCo

Re: I-35

Post by skim82 »

KC0KEK wrote: I've been wondering about that, too. I know that there's supposed to be a short tunnel, but I can't believe that's it.
Exactly!!!!!  That thing is way too small for semi trucks.  Also, it's kinda off the highway in a ditch.  What's up with that??
KC0KEK
Oak Tower
Oak Tower
Posts: 4855
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2002 6:23 pm
Location: Neither here nor there

Re: I-35

Post by KC0KEK »

skim82 wrote: Also, it's kinda off the highway in a ditch.  What's up with that??
The location didn't seem odd because that whole area is being reconfigured, so I expected to see part of the highways moved.

From what I can tell, the tunnel thingy appears to have stone work on the inside, as if the interior would be something you'd see because you'd drive through it.

Weird!
User avatar
GRID
City Hall
City Hall
Posts: 17068
Joined: Mon Sep 15, 2003 12:20 pm
Contact:

Re: I-35

Post by GRID »

That is the "future" exit for NB I-35 to exit to 75th Street.  It will not actually open till the second phase of the work out there is done which is the widening of US-69 to six lanes.  But when it is in use, NB traffic will have one exit for both 75th and 87th.  Sort of like the Nall/Roe interchange.  One lane will then exit at 87th while the other continues all the way past 87th and the US-69 flyover.  I believe the new ramp from 87th will be above the tunnel.  The reason for this is to eliminate the "weave" where you have to cross through the NB 69 traffic which is trying to merge onto 35 to access the 75th St exit.  It's basically modern highway design and is also being introduced to KC in the Triangle and at the new 435 & Antioch interchange.
User avatar
bahua
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 10925
Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2003 7:39 pm
Location: Out of Town
Contact:

Re: I-35

Post by bahua »

I was driving back from an out-of-state wedding last night, and saw a lot of improvements in progress and completed on I-35. One obvious one is the new mile markers. It had been a long time since I'd driven on I-35, so maybe they've been up for ages, but they each say the direction of the road, the I-35 symbol, the mile number, and the tenth of a mile for that sign, every two tenths.

Also, a wide-scale resurfacing is going on, which has been completed in some places, to give the traveler a good idea of what to expect: expanded,  paved, diagonally-striped right shoulders, and smaller left shoulders adorned with reflectors. The construction was pretty heavy, with one-lane traffic for a total of about 25 miles, but I was never slowed down to anything lower than the posted construction speed limit.

It all looks very nice. Did the DOT get an infusion of funds in recent years?
User avatar
dangerboy
Global Moderator
Global Moderator
Posts: 9029
Joined: Wed Feb 19, 2003 8:28 am
Location: West 39th St. - KCMO

Re: I-35

Post by dangerboy »

Yeah Amendment 3 last year put some more money into MoDOT, and they are borrowing hundreds of millions.

Those tenth-mile markers are a new standard for several routes.  I-70 also has them.
KC0KEK
Oak Tower
Oak Tower
Posts: 4855
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2002 6:23 pm
Location: Neither here nor there

Re: I-35

Post by KC0KEK »

dangerboy wrote: Those tenth-mile markers are a new standard for several routes.  I-70 also has them.
Aside from IDing the location of an accident when calling 911, what's the purpose of having so many of them? They seem like a colossal waste of money.
User avatar
dangerboy
Global Moderator
Global Moderator
Posts: 9029
Joined: Wed Feb 19, 2003 8:28 am
Location: West 39th St. - KCMO

Re: I-35

Post by dangerboy »

KC0KEK wrote: Aside from IDing the location of an accident when calling 911, what's the purpose of having so many of them? They seem like a colossal waste of money.
That's precisely the purpose.  I say it's very worthwhile, not a waste of money.  In fact, MoDOT says it will save $200,000/year because these will replace the white reflectors that are currently posted every tenth mile.
KC0KEK
Oak Tower
Oak Tower
Posts: 4855
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2002 6:23 pm
Location: Neither here nor there

Re: I-35

Post by KC0KEK »

By law, all cell phones sold over the past few years have to include technology (e.g., GPS) that can locate a 911 caller within an area the size of a tennis court. Once all PSAPs have upgraded to handle E-911 Phase II, I don't see much need for that many mile markers.
User avatar
dangerboy
Global Moderator
Global Moderator
Posts: 9029
Joined: Wed Feb 19, 2003 8:28 am
Location: West 39th St. - KCMO

Re: I-35

Post by dangerboy »

KC0KEK wrote: By law, all cell phones sold over the past few years have to include technology (e.g., GPS) that can locate a 911 caller within an area the size of a tennis court. Once all PSAPs have upgraded to handle E-911 Phase II, I don't see much need for that many mile markers.
The vast majority of 911 call centers have not been upgraded to receive the new location data, and won't be upgraded for years.  This is especially true of the small-town call centers along rural stretches of highway.  To make matters worse, location detection doesn't work very well in rural areas if the carriers uses triangulation instead of GPS.

There will be a need for these markers for several more years.
KC0KEK
Oak Tower
Oak Tower
Posts: 4855
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2002 6:23 pm
Location: Neither here nor there

Re: I-35

Post by KC0KEK »

Angle of arrival and time difference of arrival work pretty well in rural areas, where you might be in range of only two cell sites, although I don't know how many carriers currently use AOA and TDOA.
LenexatoKCMO
City Center Square
City Center Square
Posts: 14667
Joined: Wed May 25, 2005 3:34 pm
Location: Valentine

Re: I-35

Post by LenexatoKCMO »

http://www.kansascity.com/2010/06/21/20 ... ments.html

MoDot has launched a study of how they can improve traffic flow over this important commuter stretch. 

Part of me really just doesn't like the idea of dumping money into improving any of our commuter corridors - as long as we keep making it easier to drive from the middle of nowhere to your job we will never see any slowing of the sprawl or any momentum towards useful public transit. 
trailerkid
City Center Square
City Center Square
Posts: 11284
Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2002 4:49 pm

Re: I-35

Post by trailerkid »

Have there been traffic problems on this stretch? Seems like a non-issue.
User avatar
chrizow
Global Moderator
Global Moderator
Posts: 17155
Joined: Fri Aug 08, 2003 8:43 am

Re: I-35

Post by chrizow »

i think they should widen the highway by 6 or 8 lanes.  maybe destroy some 115-year old buildings and isolate the westside further so kansans can have an even easier time driving into downtown.
shinatoo
Ambassador
Posts: 7386
Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2005 3:20 pm

Re: I-35

Post by shinatoo »

Step one, add a toll booth, just to get in to Missouri, not out.
LenexatoKCMO
City Center Square
City Center Square
Posts: 14667
Joined: Wed May 25, 2005 3:34 pm
Location: Valentine

Re: I-35

Post by LenexatoKCMO »

shinatoo wrote: Step one, add a toll booth, just to get in to Missouri, not out.
As long as it's only open 5AM-10AM - come afternoon all of us KCMO residents stuck out in JoCo durring the day have to get home.  :D
shinatoo
Ambassador
Posts: 7386
Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2005 3:20 pm

Re: I-35

Post by shinatoo »

LenexatoKCMO wrote: As long as it's only open 5AM-10AM - come afternoon all of us KCMO residents stuck out in JoCo durring the day have to get home.   :D
Agreed.

How about this. and restore the fabric of the westside.
Image

Or better yet, this and restore the whole fabric of downtown.

Image
enough
Colonnade
Colonnade
Posts: 997
Joined: Sat May 21, 2005 5:52 pm

Re: I-35

Post by enough »

no more lanes.  maybe provide more direct access routes to crown center, but without spending tens of millions and taking additional properties to do it. 

most important, get kdot to actively manage access to i-35 in joco for a couple of hours in the morning -- ramp metering at 10 or 12 on-ramps with instant-on for carpools and transit is one low-cost way to do it -- and the congestion would all but vanish.  moreover, there'd be no need for jct's bus on shoulder boondoggle.
kcmetro
One Park Place
One Park Place
Posts: 6687
Joined: Tue Jun 27, 2006 6:19 pm

Re: I-35

Post by kcmetro »

How bout a fucking rail line?
mean
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 11232
Joined: Wed Feb 05, 2003 9:00 am
Location: Historic Northeast

Re: I-35

Post by mean »

Rrrr...ail? I'm afraid I don't know what that is. More lanes, please. Lots more. Hell, just pave over the whole westside.
"It is not to my good friend's heresy that I impute his honesty. On the contrary, 'tis his honesty that has brought upon him the character of heretic." -- Ben Franklin
Post Reply