Industry and highway officials announced Tuesday that regular traffic will resume Feb. 21 on U.S. Highway 69, hopefully more slowly and safely. Project Engineer Craig Cogan with HNTB said the new express lanes are designed to reduce the disproportionate number of crashes and injuries that occur on one of the region's busiest highways. He acknowledged the years of roadwork had been a challenge for drivers.
“The thing everybody wants to say is thank you for your patience," Cogan said. "This project has gone very fast. It’s a lot of work in a short amount of time, but it was also impactful to the public and we understand that.”
The express lanes will run from 103rd Street to 151st Street in Overland Park, Kansas. Drivers will have a choice of using the north or south lanes, or the two other non-toll lanes which will remain free. Drivers can enter and exit the express lanes on U.S. 69 at several points along the 6‑mile corridor.
Cogan says express lanes are becoming an increasingly popular tool for managing congestion in big cities across the country. The Kansas Department of Transportation toured with express lane facilities in Denver, Minneapolis and Utah while working on the project.
Cogan says it's hard to know exactly how much time the express lane will save travelers because that depends on the level of congestion and the time of day.
"KDOT's goal is always to make sure the express lane is operating at 50 miles per hour or greater," Cogan said. "Hopefully it's going at a free flow speed all day long."
Steve Rockers, project director of 69Express and KDOT, says he thinks the express lane will make a big difference.
"This was a state four-lane highway, it had a lot of accidents," Rockers said. "This is all about handling the growth of making the highway safer.”
Rockers says that drivers are used to unreliable travel times and accidents on U.S. 69. After the express lanes open, Rockers believes reliable, free flow traffic will be guaranteed.
Depending on the traffic, toll prices can range from 35 cents to $1.50. Commuters can sign up for a KTAG on DriveKS, which will give them a 50 percent discount and allow them to pay the toll automatically.
69Express is hosting a public open house on Feb. 11 from 5 to 7 p.m. for travelers and community members to learn more about the express lanes.
Attendees will be able to set up an account on DriveKS and get a KTAG with assistance from the Kansas Turnpike Authority. More information on the event can be found on the 69Express website.
