I-70

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shinatoo
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Re: I-70

Post by shinatoo »

Welcome to Missouri, Don't forget your Porn and Fireworks
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dangerboy
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Re: I-70

Post by dangerboy »

City of Blue Springs is paying to rebuild the I-70/Woods Chapel Road interchange as a diverging diamond...

http://www.modot.org/kansascity/major_p ... iamond.htm
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grovester
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Re: I-70

Post by grovester »

good deal, was just there last week, the interchange is something from a rural overpass.
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dangerboy
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Re: I-70

Post by dangerboy »

grovester wrote: good deal, was just there last week, the interchange is something from a rural overpass.
Well, it was a rural overpass when it was built...
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Re: I-70

Post by grovester »

good point! :lol:
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dangerboy
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Re: I-70

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Public reaction was summed up pretty well by one resident who says "It's too European"

http://www.examiner.net/news/x255183599 ... s-a-review
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Re: I-70

Post by moderne »

Not only that, it's French.  Maybe it could be renamed a"Freedom" interchange.
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Re: I-70

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moderne wrote: Not only that, it's French.  Maybe it could be renamed a"Freedom" interchange.
=D>
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Re: I-70

Post by Mizzou05 »

I'm down here in Springfield, and we love our DDI. The lady in the article must be either 125 years old or to stupid to read signs. Everything is clearly marked and not difficult at all. We love it so much we are actually building another @ National and James River Freeway.
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Re: I-70

Post by shinatoo »

yeah, the Kansas ave one has made a HUGE difference.
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Re: I-70

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Re: I-70

Post by KCMax »

The Daily Beast: America's 75 Worst Commutes
#58, I-70, Kansas City
Weekly hours of bottleneck congestion: 47
Worst bottleneck: Eastbound, Van Brunt Blvd/Exit 6
Length of worst bottleneck: .79 mi
Weekly hours of congestion on worst bottleneck: 13
Speed of worst bottleneck when congested: 17.1 mph

Commuter Buzz: ?I'm just glad to see that [the Missouri Department of Transportation] is doing a common sense project, widening I-70 to three lanes all the way through, which should ease the flow of traffic,? says one commuter.
That's behind places like Boise, Allentown PA, Chattanooga and El Paso.
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Re: I-70

Post by Highlander »

KCMax wrote: The Daily Beast: America's 75 Worst Commutes

That's behind places like Boise, Allentown PA, Chattanooga and El Paso.
I would not put too much stock in that list.  I noticed I-10 in Houston is not even on there and I-10 is commonly acknowledged around here as a highway from hell.  It's either at a standstill or a very dangerous place (as I found out the hard way).  Other Houston commutes, all much worse than I-70, did not even make the list. 
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Re: I-70

Post by DaveKCMO »

went to one of the I-70 public meetings last night. got the impression MoDOT wasn't really trying to reinvent the wheel, although they have a curious obsession with bus-on-shoulder transit in the corridor -- when you mention other modes they say "you need local support!", as if bus-on-shoulder wouldn't ALSO require local support. meh.

there is also a major disconnect between the "highway" view of the loop and the "traffic" view of the loop. in other words, most of the bottlenecks (all of the broadway exits?) now are still managed by mechanical traffic signals. changing those to electronic and massaging lanes and movements could dramatically improve flow. traffic lights are just a "city problem". argh!

at least they still want to reduce the number of I-70 exists in the north loop.

go to the online thingy and ask for more transit options!

http://www.modot.org/kansascity/metroi70/
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Re: I-70

Post by DaveKCMO »

now it's time for the kansas side...

http://lcviaducti70.ksdot.org/
The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) is conducting a study to examine the condition of each of the nine bridges making up the Viaduct and developing a priority phasing plan for rehabilitation and/or replacement of the existing bridges.

The Viaduct serves as a gateway for Kansas City, Kansas.  It is critical to understand the traffic needs of the highway users as well as the existing and future land use plans for the surrounding area.  The study team will examine existing traffic patterns, future traffic demands and existing crash history information.  This information will assist the study team with developing improvement alternatives.

Additionally, the study team will also engage the community throughout the study process to keep all stakeholders informed.  We also want to make sure community input is considered as technical solutions are developed.

Goals of the Study

- Develop a master plan for rehabilitation and/or replacement of all bridge structures within the study area.
- Develop a phasing plan that will allow projects to be implemented as funding becomes available.
- Identify cost-effective targeted solutions to address existing problems that could be completed prior to any large-scale projects.
- Complete a bridge inspection of each bridge to document existing condition of the structure.
- Understand existing and future traffic conditions and safety conditions within the study area and incorporate that information into the recommended solution.
- Engage the community in the study process so that final recommendations are in-line with community priorities.
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Re: I-70

Post by GRID »

This would have to be both a MO and KS project, but the first thing I would do is remove the Interstate 70 designation and route it over what is now 670 and remove the 670 designation.  It's flat out dumb that I-70 does all those crazy turns and it reduces down to one or two lanes in places when 670 is straight shot through the city for through traffic.

Then I would turn the viaduct into a grand parkway with bike paths and landscaping, maybe a streetcar line.

It would be an amazing transit, bike and ped connection between downtown KCK and KCMO, something that is desperately needed.  You could have a four lane parkway and still have a ton of room for a park like corridor and transit right of way along the viaduct that could be directly connected to levee trails along both the MO and KS rivers.  The views of the river, downtown airport and downtown skyline would be awesome.

I think it would be the one thing to spark some serious urban recreation in KC and maybe even spark some interest in downtown KCK and Kaw Point.  The freeway is not needed there anymore with 670.

But I know that's not in the cards.
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Re: I-70

Post by IraGlacialis »

GRID wrote: Then I would turn the viaduct into a grand parkway with bike paths and landscaping, maybe a streetcar line.

It would be an amazing transit, bike and ped connection between downtown KCK and KCMO, something that is desperately needed.  You could have a four lane parkway and still have a ton of room for a park like corridor and transit right of way along the viaduct that could be directly connected to levee trails along both the MO and KS rivers.  The views of the river, downtown airport and downtown skyline would be awesome.
In other words, turn the Louis & Clark Viaduct into something resembling the High Line, except bigger.
That would something I would be highly in favor, in addition to converting the north loop into a boulevard (possibly covert Independence Ave and 6th St into Independence Blvd) with highway portion itself converted to parkland. Besides creating actual usable green space, it should increase connectivity between the loop and market districts. It could also serve as a way to thin out that colossal interchange.
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Re: I-70

Post by moderne »

Many years ago there was on old brick warehouse some sort of furniture store just west of the Beardsley exit.  They had a showroom display window on an uppper floor just feet from the viaduct. 
enough
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Re: I-70

Post by enough »

when i-670 was built they considered changing the designation to make it i-70.  as i recall there was opposition from businesses who had their printed and other directional information oriented to the existing i-70 route.  for any number of reasons it's time to re-think all of that and move the i-70 designation to the "i-670" straight shot. 

as for the kck end of the viaduct, something needs to be done about the bizarre complexity of the surface routes over there (just east of the present and former epa building), as well as the over-designed ramps and structures of the viaduct to minnesota/state connections.  bring everything down to surface level, create something like a humongous roundabout at the west end of the viaduct, and turn the i-70 segment south of there into a surface boulevard at least to central. 
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Re: I-70

Post by NDTeve »

enough wrote: as for the kck end of the viaduct, something needs to be done about the bizarre complexity of the surface routes over there (just east of the present and former epa building), as well as the over-designed ramps and structures of the viaduct to minnesota/state connections.  bring everything down to surface level, create something like a humongous roundabout at the west end of the viaduct, and turn the i-70 segment south of there into a surface boulevard at least to central. 
Amen.
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