K-7/I-70 interchange, Bonner Springs

[route56]

This evening, KDOT had a public open house on proposed changes to the I-70/K-7 interchange in Bonner Springs.

Funding has been allocated for Phase 1-3 of the project.

• Phase 1 will replace the current ramps to and from eastbound I-70 with a new set of ramps on the west side of K-7, along with a new loop ramp from westbound I-70 to southbound K-7. The existing ramp to westbound I-70 would be retained, and the ramp from westbound I-70 to northbound K-7 would be rebuilt. Essentially, the interchange would become a folded diamond on the NE and SW quadrants, along with a loop ramp in the NW quadrant.
  
  
• Phase 2 will rebuild the bridges between K-7 and 110th Street
  
  
• Phase 3 will widen I-70 to 6 lanes between 110th Street and I-70
  
  What is not funded is the rest of the proposal, which would make K-7 a full freeway and turn the K-7/I-70 junction into a folded cloverleaf with C/D roads in all directions. In addition, there would be two new interchanges on K-7, one at 130th, the other at Kansas Avenue. At the last presentation, both of these interchanges were proposed as SPUIs. Now, however, the 130th interchange is being planned as a DDI.

[US71]

This evening, KDOT had a public open house on proposed changes to the I-70/K-7 interchange in Bonner Springs.

Funding has been allocated for Phase 1-3 of the project.

• Phase 1 will replace the current ramps to and from eastbound I-70 with a new set of ramps on the west side of K-7, along with a new loop ramp from westbound I-70 to southbound K-7. The existing ramp to westbound I-70 would be retained, and the ramp from westbound I-70 to northbound K-7 would be rebuilt. Essentially, the interchange would become a folded diamond on the NE and SW quadrants, along with a loop ramp in the NW quadrant.
  
  
• Phase 2 will rebuild the bridges between K-7 and 110th Street
  
  
• Phase 3 will widen I-70 to 6 lanes between 110th Street and I-70
  
  What is not funded is the rest of the proposal, which would make K-7 a full freeway and turn the K-7/I-70 junction into a folded cloverleaf with C/D roads in all directions. In addition, there would be two new interchanges on K-7, one at 130th, the other at Kansas Avenue. At the last presentation, both of these interchanges were proposed as SPUIs. Now, however, the 130th interchange is being planned as a DDI.
  

Didn't they just redo this a couple years ago?

[route56]

Didn't they just redo this a couple years ago?

They have had to rebuild the bridge connecting EB I-70 with the toll booth, and changed the signs to reflect the addition of US 24 and 40 into the mix; however, there have not been any physical changes to the configuration of this interchange since the Eastern Terminal toll plaza was moved to its current location.

[route56]

KDOT has posted the handouts and presentations from the presentation to the project website:

http://www.k7andi70interchange.org/together/getinvolved.asp#Jan12

[J N Winkler]

Richie, the interchange renderings show dual-lane loop ramps serving a number of movements, including I-70 westbound C/D to K-7 southbound and K-7 southbound to I-70 eastbound C/D.  Did the KDOT engineers at the public meeting discuss any operational considerations or concerns relating to these ramps?

[Alps]

Richie, the interchange renderings show dual-lane loop ramps serving a number of movements, including I-70 westbound C/D to K-7 southbound and K-7 southbound to I-70 eastbound C/D.  Did the KDOT engineers at the public meeting discuss any operational considerations or concerns relating to these ramps?

That';s not really an accurate depiction of what's going on. You have a dual lane trumpet ramp from I-70 WB to K-7, and a dual lane right turn from the combined I-70 ramp to the K-7 SB frontage road. The latter right turn is combined with traffic from I-70 EB. Similarly, you have a K-7 SB dual lane right turn toward I-70, and then the three-lane approach splits 2/2 (as it should). What operational considerations would you think occur in these scenarios? Dual-lane ramps have been used all over the country.

[Stephane Dumas]

I spotted some simulted views videos of K-7 from a driver's point.

[J N Winkler]

What operational considerations would you think occur in these scenarios?

My question is simpler than that--I want to know whether it was even discussed at the public meeting.

Dual-lane ramps have been used all over the country.

Dual-lane ramps have indeed been used in many places, but dual-lane loop ramps are a bit rarer and these would be the first in Kansas.

[route56]

Richie, the interchange renderings show dual-lane loop ramps serving a number of movements, including I-70 westbound C/D to K-7 southbound and K-7 southbound to I-70 eastbound C/D.  Did the KDOT engineers at the public meeting discuss any operational considerations or concerns relating to these ramps?

Not to my knowledge. Most of the people attending that meeting are more concerned with access loss and how much R/W this interchange is going to take.

The reason for going with the folded claverleaf design is to preserve the existing development on the northwest corner of the K-7/I-70 interchange. I had asked a KDOT engineer why they didn't consider a different type of interchange. He had indicated that taking the existing development would put the project into the EIS process.

[J N Winkler]

Not to my knowledge. Most of the people attending that meeting are more concerned with access loss and how much R/W this interchange is going to take.

Yup--I noticed that some of the loops will produce rather large full takes (mainly of woodland though--I don't think forest qualifies as an intensive land use).

The reason for going with the folded cloverleaf design is to preserve the existing development on the northwest corner of the K-7/I-70 interchange. I had asked a KDOT engineer why they didn't consider a different type of interchange. He had indicated that taking the existing development would put the project into the EIS process.

This is interesting information.  My understanding is that there are three major construction contracts involved.  It will be interesting to see the construction plans when they become available; unlike the Johnson County Gateway, the other major capacity expansion in the KC area which is still in the planning stages, I think this will be progressed through design-bid-build as usual.

[Ned Weasel]

KDOT has posted the handouts and presentations from the presentation to the project website:

http://www.k7andi70interchange.org/together/getinvolved.asp#Jan12

I actually think this design is really cool.  It's a clever way of incorporating the existing configuration into the freeway-to-freeway conversion.  (And anyone who hasn't seen it can just go directly here: http://www.k7andi70interchange.org/tomorrow/ultimateik7map.asp)

[Ned Weasel]

I spotted some simulted views videos of K-7 from a driver's point.

I noticed these videos show the style of guide signs with multiple down arrows pointing to a single lane, which KDOT loves and which I actually find quite informative, but which the MUTCD no longer allows.  Isn't Kansas required to adopt the new MUTCD after a few years?

[J N Winkler]

I noticed these videos show the style of guide signs with multiple down arrows pointing to a single lane, which KDOT loves and which I actually find quite informative, but which the MUTCD no longer allows.  Isn't Kansas required to adopt the new MUTCD after a few years?

Yes, it is, and I am still waiting for word on how KDOT proposes to handle some MUTCD changes which will be an issue for Kansas, such as exit numbering on US and state route freeways.

I don't think the signs in the video renderings look anything like the signs that will actually be called for in the plans.  I expect arrow-per-lane diagrammatics to be used for any option-lane exits put in as part of this interchange and these signs will probably be designed similarly to the one scheduled for use at the I-35/Homestead Lane DDI (advertised a few months ago).