Interstate 435 Kansas / Missouri

Interstate 435 Kansas
Interstate 435 Missouri

Overview

Interstate 435 is the 83 mile long beltway encircling the Kansas City metropolitan area in Kansas and Missouri. The freeway serves Independence, Lee’s Summit and Overland Park among other suburban cities. While providing a bypass for long distance travelers north to St. Joseph and Des Moines, and south to Wichita and Joplin, most of the freeway serves commuter traffic. Areas of the north beltway are somewhat rural while I-435 to the southwest, south and east of Kansas City are suburbanized. The northwestern quadrant overlaps with Interstate 29 for 3.1 miles by Kansas City International Airport (MCI).

History

The American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) designated the Kansas City beltway as I-435 on June 23, 1969. The route appears on the Missouri Official Highway Map by 1964, but only as an east side bypass between I-35 near Lenexa, Kansas and I-35 at Claycomo, Missouri. Opened to traffic by 1967, the initial section of freeway ran east from I-35 to U.S. 69 in Overland Park, Kansas. The freeway north and east to Missouri Route 78 (East 23rd Street) at Blue Summit was completed by 1970.

The original I-435 alignment east of I-35 was finished by 1975, with a full cloverleaf interchange at the west end with a local road tying it into Pflumm Road to the south, and a semi directional-T interchange at Claycomo to the north.1 U.S. 50 was relocated to follow I-435 west from Lee’s Summit, Missouri to Overland Park, Kansas as conditionally approved by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) on June 29, 1978.

An east-west section of I-435 parallel to Missouri Route 291 between Exits 36 and 41 A/B was opened by 1983. Interstate 435 in Kansas and Missouri was fully open to traffic in December 1986 with the completion of the Missouri River Bridge.1

I-435 in rural north Kansas City, Missouri.

Interstate 435 east of Woodland Avenue / Exit 42 in north Kansas City, Missouri. 06/19/15

The Grandview Triangle Interchange, where I-49, I-435, I-470 and U.S. 50 and U.S. 71 come together, was upgraded during roadwork from Fall 2000 to May 2008. $300 million in construction focused on expanding the U.S. 71 mainline by three lanes per direction, adding two lanes for the continuation of I-435 east, and shifting the left side ramp from I-435 east to I-49 and U.S. 71 south, and I-470 east to the right. Interchanges were also revamped along I-49/U.S. 71 to the south at Blue Ridge Boulevard, Red Bridge Road and Longview Road.

Work on the freeway mainlines was formally completed during a ceremony held on December 14, 2007. Officials buried a steel triangle that day to symbolize a new era of transportation as the old Grandview Triangle Interchange days were over. The junction was renamed by the Missouri General Assembly in 2005 as the “Three Trails Crossing Memorial Highway”. The Three Trails name is derived from the trails, Santa Fe, Oregon and California, that historically ran through the area.2

The $600 million Johnson County Gateway project focused on upgrading Interstate 435 between W 87th Street and U.S. 69 in the Overland Park area. Phase 2 of construction rebuilt the beltway from K-10 eastward.

Work commenced on the $288 million Phase 2 of the Johnson County Gateway project in May 2014. Construction altered the three-wye interchange with the K-10 freeway to incorporate it with new collector distributor roadways leading east to Lackman Road and the cloverstack interchange with Interstate 35. Subsequent work replaced the loop ramp from I-35 north to I-435 west with a new flyover while extending the c/d roadway system north from K-10 to 95th Street. Road construction for Phase 2 wrapped up in January 2017, with finishing work including landscaping, signing and painting was completed by late April 2017.3

Route Information

  • North Parent Jct – Claycomo, MO

  • South Parent Jct – Lenexa, KS

  • Total Mileage – 80.81

Mileage

Missouri – 52.78

  • Cities – Kansas City, Grandview, Raytown, Independence, Gladstone

  • Junctions – I-49 I-470 I-70 I-35 I-29

Kansas – 28.03

  • Cities – Kansas City, Leawood, Overland Park, Shawnee

  • Junctions – I-70 I-35

Source: December 31, 2021 Interstate Route Log and Finders List

Kansas City, MO - 1970
Interstate 435 from the Grandview Triangle Interchange northward to Gregory Boulevard near Swope Park was completed by mid 1970. Further extension of I-435 north to NE 48th Street (Exit 54) followed by late 1971.

The original Grandview Interchange consisted of wye interchanges linking I-435 with U.S. 71 to the south and left side ramps with U.S. 71 to the north. The current Three Trails Crossing interchange retains some of these elements such as the left exit to U.S. 71 north from I-435 east

I-29 south at I-435

I-29/U.S. 71 south combines with Interstate 435 at this directional T interchange in southeast Platte City, Missouri. 06/18/15

Kansas City, KS - 1977
Kansas City – 1977 Kansas Official Highway Map

The initial stretch of I-435 opened west of I-35 in Kansas was the section from Midland Drive (Exit 5) to K-32 (Exit 9). This was shown as complete on the 1981-82 Kansas Official Highway Map.

I-70 west at I-435 - Kansas City, MO
Interstate 435 west at Interstate 70 in Kansas City, Missouri. 06/18/15

Construction between 2010-12 both expanded I-70 at the cloverstack interchange with I-435 and added ramps from the beltway to adjacent U.S. 40.

Photo Guides

North End I-35 MO 110 – Claycomo, Missouri

I-435 North at I-35 US 69 Missouri Route 110

I-435 north at I-35/US 69 - Claycomo, MO

Passing by the Worlds of Fun theme park and the Maple Park community, Interstate 435 advances 2.5 miles north to meet I-35 and U.S. 69 at Claycomo. 05/07/22

I-435 north at I-35/US 69 - Claycomo, MO

Forthcoming Exit 52 B utilizes the original directional T interchange with I-35 at the former north end of I-435. Beyond I-35 and Pleasant Valley, Interstate 435 reenters Kansas City ahead of the freeway along Route 152. 05/07/22

I-435 north at I-35/US 69 - Kansas City, MO

Exit 52 A departs for U.S. 69 through Claycomo. U.S. 69 combines with I-35 north through Pleasant Valley after the Ford Kansas City Assembly Plant nearby. The beltway overlaps with I-29 in 19 miles by Kansas City International Airport (MCI). 05/07/22

I-435 north at I-35 - Claycomo, MO

Interstate 35 leads southwest to North Kansas City while I-35 northbound serves commuters to Liberty and the separation with U.S. 69 to Excelsior Springs. Route 110 (Chicago Kansas City Expressway) accompanies the freeway north to the expressway on U.S. 36 at Cameron. 05/07/22

I-435 South at I-35 US 69

I-435 south at I-35/US 69 - Kansas City, MO

Interstate 435 trends southeast from the Route 152 freeway to nip the western corner of the Pleasant Valley city limits as Exit 52 departs for I-35 south and adjacent U.S. 69. 06/19/15

I-435 south at I-35/US 69 - Kansas City, MO

Exit 52 leaves I-435 south ahead of bridges over Shoal Creek. There is no access to I-35 north to Liberty, with the Route 152 expressway providing a direct route to the Clay County suburbs from Exit 49B. 06/19/15

I-35 North at I-435 US 69 Missouri Route 110

I-35 north at I-435/US 69 - Kansas City, MO

Interstate 35 curves northeast beyond Exit 11 for U.S. 69 (Vivion Road) into the village of Claycomo ahead of the Kansas City beltway. 05/07/22

I-35 north at I-435/US 69 - Kansas City, MO

Upcoming Exit 12 A serves both I-435 south to Randolph and Independence and local access to U.S. 69 for the Ford Kansas City Assembly Plant. 05/07/22

I-35 north at I-435/US 69 - Claycomo, MO

A directional interchange (Exits 12 A/B) joins I-35 and the south end of Route 110 (Chicago Kansas City Expressway) with Interstate 435. The Chicago Kansas City Expressway (CKC) overlaps with freeways and U.S. highways from I-435 to I-290 (Eisenhower Expressway) in Chicago, Illinois.05/07/22

I-35 north at I-435/US 69 - Claycomo, MO

The third lane along I-35 north was extended during 2016/17 road work to Exit 12 B / I-435 north. 05/07/22

I-35 US 69 Missouri Route 110 South at I-435

I-35/Route 110 south at US 69/I-435 - Pleasant Valley, MO

U.S. 69 parts ways with I-35/Route 110 (CKC) south at the exit preceding Interstate 435 in the city of Pleasant Valley. 10/07/21

I-35/Route 110 south at US 69/I-435 - Pleasant Valley, MO

U.S. 69 shifts south of I-35 and parallels the freeway southwest into the city of Claycomo. Exit 12 links I-35 with I-435 south only within the adjacent exchange for the Kansas City beltway. 10/07/21

US 69 at I-35/435 - Claycomo, MO

An entrance ramp from U.S. 69 in Claycomo ties into the exchange joining I-35/435. 10/07/21

I-435 North End Throwback

I-435 North at I-35

I-435 north at I-35/US 69 - 2015

Overheads for I-35/U.S. 69 and Parvin Road at Exit 54 were replaced by June 2019. 06/19/15

I-435 north at I-35/US 69 - 2015

Sign replacements made at Exit 52 A for U.S. 69 by June 2019 omitted Route 110 (Chicago Kansas City Expressway). 06/19/15

I-435 north at I-35/Route 110 - 2015

Separate panels replaced this illuminated overhead at Exit 52 B. 06/19/15

I-35 South at I-435

I-35/Route 110 south at I-435/US 69 - Pleasant Valley, MO

Original button copy sign for I-435 (Exit 12A) on I-35 south. Due to the angle which the two freeways converge, there is no direct access to I-435 north. Motorists headed to the beltway north were directed to use Route 152 west previously from Liberty. Photo by Eric Stuve (11/30/02).

I-35/Route 110 south at I-435/US 69 - Pleasant Valley, MO

Exit 12A separated from the I-35 mainline for Interstate 435 south. The beltway proceeds 10.5 miles south to meet I-70 by Arrowhead and Kauffman Stadiums. Interstate 35 continues 9.6 miles southwest to combine with I-70 west along the Alphabet Loop encircling Downtown Kansas City. Photo by Eric Stuve (11/30/02).

I-35 North at I-435

I-35 north at I-435 - 2002

I-35 and U.S. 69 switch sides northward through Claycomo, where they both meet Interstate 435. Photo by Eric Stuve (11/30/02).

I-35 north at I-435 - 2002

Control cities on the Missouri side of the Kansas City beltway use destinations of I-29, I-35 and I-70. The eastern half of the beltway uses St. Louis for the connection with I-70 east through Blue Springs. Photo by Eric Stuve (11/30/02).

I-35 north at I-435 - 2002

A directional ramp (Exit 12B) leads drivers onto Interstate 435 north from Pleasant Valley to northern reaches of the Kansas City limits, Smithville and MCI Airport. Photo by Eric Stuve (11/30/02).

South End I-35 US 50 US 56 U.S. 169 K-10 – Lenexa, Kansas

I-435 South at I-35 US 50 US 56 U.S. 169

I-435 south at K-10/I-35 - Lenexa, KS

Interstate 435 turns east toward I-35 (Exit 83) at Exit 1 B with K-10 west to Lawrence. K-10 east runs alongside I-435 and ends at I-35/U.S. 50. 10/06/21

I-435 south at I-35/US 50 - Lenexa, KS

Separating all traffic bound for I-35 from the beltway mainline, the Johnson County Gateway Project added a collector distributor roadway starting within the exchange at K-10. Shields for U.S. 50/56/169 reference the various freeway overlaps the routes make through Lenexa and Overland Park. 10/06/21

I-435 south at I-35/US 50 - Lenexa, KS

Interstate 435 maintains three eastbound lanes through the three-wye interchange with K-10, and four east across I-35. The c/d roadway extends 1.4 miles to separate ramps for I-35. The beltway switches to east/west cardinal directions at this point. 10/06/21

I-435 south at I-35/US 50 - Lenexa, KS

Two lanes of traffic join the c/d roadway for Interstate 35 from K-10 east adjacent to the lowering exit ramp for Lackman Road. 10/06/21

I-435 south at I-35/US 50 - Lenexa, KS

I-35 overlaps with U.S. 169 southward to Olathe and with U.S. 56 west to the suburb of Gardner. Both routes accompany the freeway north to Shawnee Mission Parkway. 10/06/21

I-435 US 50 West at I-35 US 56 U.S. 169

I-435/US 50 west at I-35/US 56-169 - Overland Park, KS

Passing under the Quivira Road overpass, 0.75 miles east of the cloverstack interchange (Exit 83) with Interstate 35 on I-435/U.S. 50 west. 10/06/21

I-435/US 50 west at I-35/US 56-169 - Lenexa, KS

The entrance ramp from Quivira Road adds a second lane for forthcoming Exit 83 to Interstate 35, U.S. 50 west, U.S. 56 and U.S. 169. 10/06/21

I-435/US 50 west at I-35/US 56-169 - Lenexa, KS

Interstate 35 angles northeast through Lenexa to Merriam and southwest to Olathe and Gardner. 10/06/21

I-35 U.S. 169 North US 50 US 56 East at I-435

I-35/US 50-56-169 north at I-435 - Lenexa, KS

An array of business parks and industrial areas spread along both sides of I-35/U.S. 50-56-169 to the junction with Interstate 435. Control cities are not used on the Kansas side of the beltway. 11/03/16

I-35/US 50-56-169 north at I-435 - Lenexa, KS

College Boulevard spans Interstate 35 north, just ahead of Exit 222A for I-435 east through Overland Park and Leawood. The busiest stretch of the beltway lies between I-35 and I-49/U.S. 71. 11/03/16

I-35/US 50-56-169 north at I-435 - Lenexa, KS

Although unmarked here, U.S. 50 parts ways with Interstate 35 north for I-435 east through Overland Park, Leawood, south Kansas City and Lee’s Summit. 11/03/16

I-35/US 50-56-169 north at I-435 - Lenexa, KS

A loop ramp (Exit 222B) follows for Interstate 435 west and K-10. K-10 constitutes a full freeway west from Lenexa to Lawrence. I-435 turns north through Shawnee to cross the Kansas River at Edwardsville. 11/03/16

I-35 U.S. 169 South US 56 West at I-435 US 50

I-35/US 56-169 south at I-435/US 50 - Lenexa, KS

Angling southwest from the diverging diamond interchange (DDI) with 95th Street, Interstate 35 advances one mile to Exits 222 B/A for the Kansas City beltway. 10/31/16

I-35/US 56-169 south at I-435/US 50 - Lenexa, KS

Interstate 35 spans Pflumm Road just ahead of Exit 222 B for I-435 west to Lawrence and north to I-70 near Kansas Speedway. 10/06/21

I-35/US 56-169 south at I-435/US 50 - Lenexa, KS

Construction during the Johnson County Gateway Project relocated the off-ramp (Exit 222 B) for I-435 west to improve its geometry and tie it into a new c/d roadway leading west to Lackman Road (Exit 1 A) and the freeway along K-10 to Lawrence (Exit 1 B). 10/06/21

I-35/US 56-169 south at I-435/US 50 - Lenexa, KS

A loop ramp (Exit 222 A) follows for I-435/U.S. 50 east to Overland Park, south Kansas City and Grandview, Missouri.10/06/21

I-435 South End Throwback

I-435 South at I-35 US 50 US 56

I-435 south at I-35/US 50 - 2002

Interstate 435 formerly expanded to five lanes from the merge with K-10 east to Exit 1A with Lackman Road. The Lackman Road off-ramp was relocated to a new c/d roadway during the 2014-16 Johnson County Gateway project. Photo by Eric Stuve (11/30/02).

I-435 south at I-35/US 50 - 2002

Right in right out (RIRO) style ramps formerly connected I-435 with adjacent roads linking the beltway with Lackman Road. Lackman Road serves industrial and business parks in southern Lenexa. Photo by Eric Stuve (11/30/02).

I-435 south at I-35/US 50 - 2002

Shields for U.S. 56/169 posted separate from guide signs reference the overlaps of both with I-35. U.S. 50 also navigates southwest along I-35 to Emporia and east along I-435 through Overland Park. Photo by Eric Stuve (11/30/02).

I-435 south at I-35/US 50 - 2002

Back to back lane drops previously took place along I-435 east leading to Exit 83. The forthcoming interchange with Interstate 35 is the same design now, but the ramp geometry was improved during the Johnson County Gateway Project with new flyovers added for east to north and west to south. Photo by Eric Stuve (11/30/02).

I-35 North US 50 US 56 East at I-435

I-35/US 50-56-169 north at I-435 - 2002

Interstate 35 carried just three northbound lanes to the Kansas City beltway (I-435). Photo by Eric Stuve (11/30/02).

I-35/US 50-56-169 north at I-435 - 2002

Motorists looping onto I-435 west from I-35 north previously encountered a weaving traffic pattern with subsequent ramps at Lackman Road and the split with K-10 west. Photo by Eric Stuve (11/30/02).

Sources:

  1. Kansas Interstate 50th Anniversary
  2. “Triangle traffic traumas will soon fade.” The Kansas City Star, December 13, 2007.
  3. “JoCo Gateway Project to Address Bridge Approach Settling Issue Update – NOW COMPLETED!” http://jocogateway.com/joco-gateway-project-address-bridge-approach-settling-issue-update-now-completed/ Johnson County Gateway KDOT project web site. Special Project Advisory. February 9, 2017.

Page updated April 12, 2023.