Preparation work for this project started several years ago but construction work on overhead bridges began in 2007.

There are three main phases associated with the Kansas River Bridges Replacement and Plaza Improvement Project. The first phase of construction officially began June 16, 2008. The second phase should begin in the fall of 2009 and the third phase should start near the beginning of 2011. All phasing is subject to change depending on the contractor's schedule and weather.

The bridges must be replaced by 2012, which is the end of what our consulting engineers have deemed their "useful" lives. However, the bridge construction should be complete during the fall of 2011, with finishing construction tasks being completed by 2012. Of course, this also depends on weather.

If you are a thru-traveler on the Turnpike between Topeka and Kansas City, you may experience minor delays due to construction near the roadway. The KTA's engineers and consulting engineers have developed construction phasing for this project that holds customer convenience as a major priority. We know construction and delays are frustrating for travelers but have considered several options to reduce inconveniences.

The two Lawrence exits - Plazas 202 and 204 - will be temporarily closed at alternate times during portions of construction. Approximate times of these closings are detailed in the project timeline which can be found here. More information will be provided on this web site as construction continues. For e-mail notification of project updates, sign up here.

The Turnpike roadway will remain open during the entire project. To do this, a new Westbound bridge will be built to the north of the existing bridges. When it is complete, all four lanes of traffic will be shifted onto it. This is possible because the new bridge will be wide enough to accommodate three lanes of traffic and it will have full-width inside and outside shoulders. During construction, it will carry two lanes of travel in each direction with minimal shoulders.

After that first shift in traffic is made, the existing bridges will be removed. After the demolition, the new Eastbound bridge will be built in the location of the original bridges.

With any construction project, travelers should watch for construction personnel and obey all posted signs. There will be occasional, single lane closures during the project that should not have a significant impact on travelers.

Similar bridges on other roadways have been removed using the following methods: removal of the concrete "deck", or what travelers see as the actual roadway, deconstruction of the steel portion of the bridges either by explosives or piece-by-piece. Obviously, we'll have more information as the time approaches.

The bridges over the Kansas Turnpike were the first site of construction on the Turnpike, with a December 31, 1954, groundbreaking. That means these bridges are more than 50 years old. While the KTA has taken several steps to prolong the life of the bridges, they still need to be replaced. Consulting engineers HNTB has set the end of the bridges' useful life at 2012. New bridges must be in place prior to this date.

Beyond the safety of the project, the KTA also has a high level of interest in the satisfaction of its customers. This means that the new bridges were designed to hold additional capacity which may develop in the future.

To allow for the continuous movement of traffic during construction, the KTA decided to keep two lanes of traffic open in each direction as much as possible. Whenever traffic is present, construction is slowed somewhat for safety reasons and logistics. However, even if construction weren't slowed due to traffic, making these types of changes - improvements at the West Lawrence toll interchange, building an entire new East Lawrence toll interchange, demolishing two, 2,300-feet bridges and replacing them with new structures - is not an easy or quick feat.

The Turnpike will be six lanes west of Milepost 202 (West Lawrence interchange) to east of Milepost 204 (East Lawrence interchange). This includes the new bridges which will have three lanes for both east and westbound travelers, with additional wide shoulders. However, the project does not anticipate or provide for six lanes of traffic between Milepost 197 (Lecompton) and Milepost 202 (West Lawrence) or from Milepost 204 (East Lawrence) to the end of the roadway near Kansas City, where it will remain four lanes. Turnpike traffic is approximately 20 percent less to the east of Lecompton compared to the Lecompton to East Topeka interchange corridor.