The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) will alternate closure of westbound and eastbound lanes on I-70 through downtown Topeka on Dec. 3 and 4, weather permitting. Each direction of I-70 will close for a single day – primarily during daylight hours – beginning at 5 a.m. until work is complete.
During the closures, pavement patching will be completed in the driving lanes. Permanent striping and signage will also be installed that will serve until the new Polk-Quincy Viaduct is constructed.
Motorists should plan for the following:
- Saturday, Dec. 3 – Eastbound I-70 from Topeka Boulevard to S.E. 8th Street will close to all traffic at approximately 5 a.m. The 1st Street exit will be the last open ramp for eastbound motorists. Eastbound I-70 through traffic will follow signed detours and be routed south to I-470, or north to U.S. 75 to U.S. 24 to K-4. Or, drivers can use the local street detour – 1st Street to Topeka Boulevard to 6th Street to Monroe Street to the 8th Street I-70 on-ramp. Westbound I-70 will remain open, but still reduced to one lane. Temporary changes to the local detour will occur in the morning. Please follow the marked routes.
- Sunday, Dec. 4 – Westbound I-70 from S.E. 8th Street to Topeka Boulevard will close to all traffic at approximately 5 a.m. The 8th Street exit will be the last open ramp for westbound motorists. Westbound I-70 through traffic will follow signed detours and be routed south to I-470, or north to K-4 to U.S. 24 to U.S. 75. Or, drivers can use the local street detour – Madison Avenue to 6th Street to Topeka Boulevard to the 1st Street I-70 on-ramp. Eastbound I-70 will remain open, but still reduced to one lane.
The westbound 4th Street exit and eastbound 3rd Street exit from I-70 are also scheduled to reopen on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Both directions of I-70 will stay reduced to one lane until construction of the new Polk-Quincy Viaduct is complete. Westbound I-70 will be reduced from S.E. Adams Street to Topeka Boulevard, and eastbound from the 1st Street exit to S.E. 8th Street. The Polk-Quincy Viaduct project is scheduled to begin in early 2025.
Work on the current multi-bridge repair project will continue until late December, weather permitting. Eastbound I-70’s current lane reduction through S.E. Adams Street will remain until the project stops for the winter.
KDOT urges all motorists to be alert and obey the warning signs when approaching and driving through a highway work zone. For information about road construction projects across Kansas, go to www.kandrive.org or call 5-1-1.