I-35 and MO 152

Post by **dangerboy** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 4:54 pm

I made the mistake of stopping here for gas the other day. Even at an off-peak hour the congestion was terrible. The roads in this area are so terribly designed for the amount of development that keeps gettting approved. Shoal Creek Valley will add another 15-30,000 residents right next door.

I don't even know how the area could be improved given the way that it has already has developed. It seems like 152 should have been undivided expressway all the way to I-35, and arterial roads should have been built for the retail development. It's even more frustrating when contrasted with the great mixed-used, pedestrian-friendly Shoal Creek Valley going in next door. It seems like this intersection was a wasted opportunity to build a smarter version of the suburban power center.

KCN · Post by **KCN** » Wed Jan 21, 2004 1:58 am

Unfortunately that intersection has been there long before the area developed, so to make it like a freeway interchange would have been impossible. I agree that the design was terrible. There are way too many stoplights in that area. Is the construction on the overpass finished at least? When that was going, the traffic problems were severe. I am talking 20-30 minutes to get across the I-35 overpass on 152.

They just added a new light on 152 at Shoal Creek Pkwy, which was long overdue. It would have been nice to change it to an overpass w/ exit ramps while that intersection was still undeveloped. Oh well.

trailerkid · Post by **trailerkid** » Wed Jan 21, 2004 2:11 am

Not that familiar with the area up there, but would it be possible to make 152 a divided freeway the entire stretch from 35 in Liberty to the 435 in rural Platte County? It may take A LOT of money and headaches, but it seems it would be worth it in the long run.

Post by **dangerboy** » Wed Jan 21, 2004 8:26 am

trailerkid wrote:Not that familiar with the area up there, but would it be possible to make 152 a divided freeway the entire stretch from 35 in Liberty to the 435 in rural Platte County? It may take A LOT of money and headaches, but it seems it would be worth it in the long run.

It's already divided highway most of the way. They just finished up adding lanes around Green Hills Road. It becomes undivided four-lane road around Shoal Creek Parkway. Like I said, the area around I-35 is already developed with businesses (Wal-Mart, Target, etc) and can't be made undivided. The opportunity to do that has already passed.

GRID · Post by **GRID** » Wed Jan 21, 2004 8:45 am

I don't think 152 between 35 and 435 is rural anymore. Actually, I think that area is becomming rather built up.

All the Liberty interchanges are way way over capacity and with that area just west of Liberty in KCMO probably being the single fastest growing area in all of KC, it's only going to get worse.

trailerkid · Post by **trailerkid** » Wed Jan 21, 2004 4:41 pm

I meant the other 435 in Platte County closer to KS and Leavenworth(too many damn 435s in this town!). I realize it is divided for a long stretch around Metro North and that area, but out by 435 (Platte) it went from only two lanes to a four lane divided by 29 and Zona Rosa. There were some new houses out there, but it looked to still be rural land.

The 152 corridor holds the future in the Northland and we need to make sure it can hold the expected growth. Plan ahead.

KCN · Post by **KCN** » Thu Jan 22, 2004 10:48 am

No one really uses 152 west of I-435 in Platte County, at least not enough to where I think it's worth expanding it to a 4 lane divided highway at this point. It's now 4 lanes all the way from I-29 to I-35 with the only stoplights being as you approach Liberty. I don't see the area west of I-29 becoming that developed anytime in the foreseeable future. At least I hope not...there is way too much vacant land east and south of that to worry about first.

kcmajik · Post by **kcmajik** » Fri Jan 23, 2004 1:36 am

there are already plans by modot to expand west of n.amity on 152 to 435....the day is coming....the northland is the new joco

nota · Post by **nota** » Fri Jan 23, 2004 7:49 am

kcmajik wrote:there are already plans by modot to expand west of n.amity on 152 to 435....the day is coming....the northland is the new joco

I'm glad I'll be gone before this happens.

Post by **dangerboy** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 8:39 am

Here's some good news... a "flyover" is in the works to provide an alternate route over I-35 near MO-152. It could take traffic off of 152 that isn't destined for the businesses there, i.e. people just passing through to school, work, etc.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?news ... 5076&rfi=6

JBinKC · Post by **JBinKC** » Tue Jun 01, 2004 10:38 am

I went up there yesterday and it is a complete developmental hodge podge. Lights backed up one after the next, and once you get to the restaurants roads go every which way. There was absolutely no master plan for this. Looks like our friends at the City Planning and Development department dropped the ball here. I'd be curious to find out how much input and ability to enforce standards on green field developments this group really has...

However, by contrast, just 100 feet away is probably the most impressive residential development in KC since Brookside. The Village is being built right now in Shoal Creek. The blocks are small, the houses are close to the street, and they are built fairly close together. There is one house that is almost complete and it looks just like a Brookside Bungalow. The sq. ft. of the houses range from 1500-2400 not including the unfinished basements. I must say I am impressed.