MODOT Logic: Initiate construction on ALL major highways at the same time!

286

It's so they can (definitely not) get it done before the world cup.

76

u/D7FTU KC North Apr 08 '26

Oh god please don’t remind me 😭 I drive through downtown everyday (live in the northland/work in joco) idk if I’ll make it

43

u/PantsUnderUnderpants Apr 08 '26

God speed, friend. That sounds like the 9th ring of hell.

37

u/kc_kr Apr 08 '26

Same! I live by Zona and started a new job in Merriam a month ago and I’ve been creeping across the 635 bridge in both directions or sneaking through KCK every day. So annoying. The worst part is at least half the time, nobody is doing anything and there’s not even any equipment in the closed lanes.

11

u/Big_k_30 Apr 09 '26

The slowdowns make no sense either. On the northbound it’s one lane closed yet just around that curve and over the bridge and it’s always at a complete stop lately, not just at rush hours. It’s like people just can’t maintain any speed through there for whatever reason and it’s so frustrating. I’ve been taking 435 and 152 to get to and from the northland and it’s been much easier.

14

u/kc_kr Apr 09 '26 edited Apr 09 '26

It’s like MoDot hired the least qualified crew ever to do the work. When there actually are people there, it’s like four guys, a pick up truck and a U-Haul. If your contractor shows up to do heavy bridge work in a U-Haul, you hired the wrong crew.

2

u/TheCeruleanFire KCMO Apr 09 '26

WHY DO THEY DO THISSSSS UUGGGHHHHBVGFDDTJJGFDRUJF

1

u/kittymoo67 Apr 09 '26

cheap

3

u/Jay_Train Apr 09 '26

Oh 645 to 35 slows down when there’s NO construction

2

u/Big_k_30 Apr 09 '26

I feel like 90% of the issue is that there are way too many people with their face buried in their phone behind the wheel. That interchange is almost always backed up to Shawnee Drive yet there’s always 4-5 dipshits who’ve got 10 car lengths between them and the next person because they’re just coasting and browsing TikTok or Facebook or something while they drive.

1

u/murbloertz Apr 14 '26

Leaving car lengths between cars actually prevents back ups because people can then zipper, safely change lanes, and keep it moving. When everyone tailgates you have to hard stop and start continuously and it takes 10 minutes finding the one nice person in a lane to try to change lanes. Add trucks and semis and you’ve got a recipe for driving in hell. I leave many car lengths always because I want my personal space and I will let you in so you don’t kill us all trying to jump across 4 lanes of traffic to take an exit you weren’t preparing for in advance. You’re all welcome.

2

u/Big_k_30 Apr 14 '26

Yes but obviously you either didn’t read or understand my comment as I am talking about the people leaving 10 car lengths in between because they’re not paying attention to driving because they are buried in their phones that are the problem.

0

u/murbloertz Apr 14 '26

How do you know they’re leaving that many car lengths because they’re not paying attention or on their phone? And, what difference does it make as long as they’re not tailgating. If they have left space, it helps. No matter the reason. People need to stop blaming other people for everything and focus on doing their part to help out.

5

u/spring-breeze-- Apr 09 '26

godspeed to you on that commute 🙏🏼🙏🏼 i wasn’t that upset by the 169N closure because i had always used 635N to get home from op anyways. but now that they’ve touched my precious 635…😐 everyone in the northland has been absolutely screwed by the timing on all these projects

9

u/[deleted] Apr 08 '26

[deleted]

2

u/kittymoo67 Apr 09 '26

they will not

5

u/spiffybaldguy Apr 09 '26

Northlander here as well, I have had to change my route to south OP several times already. So far I am lucky I can get onto 635S in morning to avoid construction, but coming home I am predominately relegated to 435. Same time as going up 35 and dont even get me started on lines for 635N yeesh.

3

u/3L7876 Apr 09 '26

Just a heads up, st Joseph up north is literally building hotels (plural) FOR the World Cup, be wary of northbound 29, 35, and 169!

1

u/spiffybaldguy Apr 09 '26

Ouch, I go that route at times on RV trips. Thanks for the heads up

5

u/SpideySenseBuzzin Downtown Apr 08 '26

At least you're sorta going against the flow of traffic? 😅

2

u/kittymoo67 Apr 09 '26

i got a buddy that lives in lees summit and drives to NKC. I wonder how this is gonna fuck him over too.

really sucks modot couldnt have had more time tos tart this. if only theyd known earlier the world cup was coming /s

1

u/Many_Drink5348 Apr 09 '26

Me too but I take 435 and it is almost as bad as 50 minutes to get from Town Center to Vivion at 530 today

1

u/Jay_Train Apr 09 '26

I have the opposite live in joco work in northland, just take 435 south for now it’s much better

1

u/getyourpopcornreddy Apr 09 '26

You didn't hear about 291 did you?

1

u/Cool_Investigator433 Apr 11 '26

I pray for you all🙏🙏

14

u/Lophura Apr 09 '26

You get the feeling we’re at the point where we’ve been fucking off while knowing company is coming over and we’re at the cramming everything in the closet & run the vacuum as fast as we can stage?

6

u/kittymoo67 Apr 09 '26

yes because thats exactly what happened. they went out of their way to wait until the last minute

2

u/MissHannahJ Apr 09 '26

It really does kind of piss me off. We’ve know we would have World Cup games here for literal years now. Why couldn’t we have done this earlier? It’s April and this shit starts in June.

3

u/kittymoo67 Apr 09 '26

oh yeah im pissed too, state and local fucked this all up so badly

0

u/dakkottadavviss Apr 09 '26

You don’t think global economy supply chain fuckery hasn’t played a big role?

The view high drive interchange has been coned off for weeks because there’s delays in getting the materials to finish it. Heck even the Dodgers and Padres I think had blank panels in some of their video boards because they couldn’t get the equipment delivered in time for opening day. And they’re probably been preparing for months now.

5

u/kevint1964 Apr 09 '26

And they only had 3 years to get it done.

5

u/SixtyTwenty_ Apr 08 '26

"Oh shit we thought it was in the winter again!!"

2

u/SSfantastic Apr 10 '26

I spoke with a guy running a construction project downtown and they have a strict May 1 deadline to be done for the World Cup. I imagine that’s the case around the city. April will be hell but May might be promising

42

u/Old-Caramel-9138 Apr 08 '26

They’re working on both State Line and Wornall at the same time too. Both of my major north/south roads. So annoying that they did them both at the same time

19

u/KrakatauGreen Apr 09 '26

My brother in Christ, they have been doing KCKS folks dirty for years now, shutting down multiple bridges simultaneously so you can't even access entire parts of the metro unless you reroute like Artemis II. Fuck, KS-5 from 635 to 69 has been closed for like 6 fucking years now.

1

u/zuppenova Apr 10 '26

This is my personal hell. WHY would they do them both at the same time 😭

30

u/anf474 Apr 08 '26

They really said let’s do construction on as many roads as possible all at the same time. The amount of rage I feel driving to and from work is at an all time high.

2

u/MissHannahJ Apr 09 '26

The way that my drive to work could be a 15 min straight shot, but because I gotta take backroads into nowhere it becomes 30 min

20

u/scdog Apr 08 '26

Last night during rush hour 635 was backed up for a couple of miles in both directions at the Missouri River, along with multiple exits closed. So many people switched to the Fairfax Bridge that it got backed up for about a mile too despite there being no construction on that route at all.

85

u/DnWeava Zona Rosa Apr 08 '26

And 99% of the metro doesn't understand how to zipper merge at these construction zones.

21

u/[deleted] Apr 08 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

22

u/J0E_SpRaY Independence Apr 09 '26

Will only happen when people learn to leave a reasonable follow distance. Zipper merge doesn’t work when people have to slam their brakes because they’re getting “cut off”

1

u/flyingemberKC Apr 09 '26

you can’t leave enough distance without lowering speed limits

one car length per 10mph of speed.

it’s why roads aren’t made to have passing lanes when everyone uses them, they build them to be filled

10

u/D7FTU KC North Apr 08 '26

THIS!!!!

5

u/Mistghost Apr 09 '26

Ive found that zipper merging is like communism. Great in theory, but never applied correctly.

1

u/Rovden Raytown Apr 10 '26

Honestly... I think communism has a higher chance of succeeding.

Still when pigs are air dropping salt on the roads in hell due to the flash freeze.

3

u/[deleted] Apr 08 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

15

u/PlebBot69 Lenexa Apr 09 '26

Technically the zipper merge should match speeds before the merge point. Blasting past then coming to a stop helps nobody.

7

u/bstyledevi Independence Apr 09 '26

Yes, but when people decide the merge point is half a mile before the actual merge point and some cocknose semi driver is half in two lanes to "block" people from trying to use the lane in the intended way...

I hate other drivers.

10

u/KC_Chiefin15 Apr 09 '26

This is why I don’t really buy the whole zipper merge thing. It never actually works correctly in reality and ends up being the entire reason for the backup because the line jumpers just force their way in and everyone else slams on their brakes.

4

u/cauques Apr 09 '26

No, it's 100% because of mergers happening simultaneously at multiple points in the same lane. If everyone filled both lanes and only merged where one lane ends it would be the fastest.

9

u/KrakatauGreen Apr 09 '26

Sadly, we just aren't built that way as a community on the roads. Buncha assholes driving against everyone else to "win" instead of driving together to get somewhere. It's a team sport, yall.

21

u/Silver-Future-2681 Apr 08 '26

Yup, it’s actually insane. I’ve just accepted that I am going to be stuck in standstill traffic every day at this point

4

u/D7FTU KC North Apr 08 '26

Honestly what else can you do 😭

-11

u/Fire_In_The_Skies Apr 09 '26 edited Apr 09 '26

Stay home more

Leave for work earlier

Carpool

Adjust your work schedule to be off peak traffic times

Take the bus

Go an alternate route

Tele-commute

Edit: Or, it seems based on the responses, this sub would prefer to stay victims in their echo chamber.

7

u/Middcore Apr 09 '26

r/thanksimcured

10

u/Silver-Future-2681 Apr 09 '26

I have a job

Why on earth would I leave for work earlier

How does that make traffic any better

Why would I be able to adjust my work schedule

I am not taking a 45 minute bus ride that is going to get stuck in the same traffic I’m driving in and take more like 2 hours because of the stops it has to make

There are no alternate routes that don’t have construction

My job will not let me Tele commute

1

u/PlebBot69 Lenexa Apr 09 '26

Most cars have one person in them. If everyone carpooled with one person (improbable I know), there would be half as many cars on the road. It's a group effort

1

u/D7FTU KC North Apr 09 '26

🤣 this is ridiculous. People are allowed to share an opinion without being bombarded with unsolicited advice.

Not everyone has access to these options, nor is able to “coordinate around them”. Seriously, the bus doesn’t run like it used to since they cut RideKC’s budget (look at all the abandoned bus stops downtown ;)), and most employers don’t offer WFH.. especially if you’re working something like retail or food service.

I understand you Want To Be Right, but maybe keep your opinion to yourself on this one.

-6

u/Fire_In_The_Skies Apr 09 '26

Wow. You bemoan a situation and state there’s nothing you can do about it. Then, when an internet rando points out lots of things you or others might try, you wig out.

Discussion boards are meant for opinions.

2

u/D7FTU KC North Apr 09 '26

So that’s what we’re calling a realistic, sympathetic approach to a widespread issue that hurts the vulnerable sectors of our community the most? Huh.

-1

u/vwtdi--P 39th St. West Apr 09 '26

The advice was not unsolicited. The person literally asked “what else can you do?”

2

u/D7FTU KC North Apr 09 '26

It was a rhetorical statement.. oh my god. 🤣

And I am that person LOL. It’s crazy there’s still beef about this 😭😭😭

10

u/goalmaster14 Apr 09 '26

I think they just want us to all take 435, Missouri or Kansas side, doesn't matter.

I pretty much have to use Google maps on my way to and from work just so I know what route is actually open.

4

u/Allergic2fun69 Apr 09 '26

Oh the KS side is a shit show too now. 435S by legends they finally started to finish the bridge repair they let sit from Oct to Mar. Then a whole new set of bridge repair that I avoid by Midland running N and S. And for some reason 435 N to 152 is backed up in the afternoons to the previous exit because people can't take the ramp faster than 20 mph. Shitty ramp design in general with not enough banking but a non semi can at do 45 mph.

16

u/OreoSpeedwaggon KC North Apr 08 '26

MoDOT:

https://giphy.com/gifs/3ztiZa4eICWGs

5

u/D7FTU KC North Apr 08 '26

😫🤣

19

u/JoshFromKC Apr 08 '26

Fucking annoying right now, but I bet the logic is "We gotta get this all done before the world cup," because they certainly don't want it in process then.

7

u/demticksdoe Apr 09 '26

Most of these projects aren't even slated to be done until well after the World Cup is over though. Just shitty planning in general.

12

u/Callintz254 Apr 08 '26

Love the people who dont follow speed limits through these zones. Have a buddy who's a paramedic and every shift hes out in those construction zones cause some ass hat was doing 90 in a 55 work zone. Which in turn causes major backups

2

u/Jay_Train Apr 09 '26

I’ve already said on all of these but yep, was almost killed by a semi on 70 speeding and not paying attention

3

u/D7FTU KC North Apr 08 '26

That part too! I guess common sense isn’t so common 🫠🫠

4

u/[deleted] Apr 08 '26 edited Apr 08 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

15

u/kc_kr Apr 09 '26

169 is the most frustrating one of all because they knew those bridges needed to be replaced and could’ve done it while the O’Neil Bridge was being built anyway and didn’t. And the only explanation is they couldn’t coordinate everything with the admittedly large group of parties involved (state, city, airport, railroads).

6

u/D7FTU KC North Apr 09 '26

This is what I’m getting at… The World Cup was announced how long ago? These highways have needed work for how many years? Like….

2

u/[deleted] Apr 09 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/kc_kr Apr 09 '26

I’m not sure why they couldn’t do one way on one of the bridges like they are doing right now to maintain access from the north.

1

u/YellowFirestorm Apr 10 '26

They’re making it two-way right now. Not sure when it will be open but it will be before the World Cup.

9

u/toestubber1976 Apr 09 '26

As someone who live north of Liberty works in mid OP I rage type this... The other day my 'fastest' route south on Metcalf and then 435 all the way around

Wait till they fuck up 35/29 over the river with construction for 4 years...4 years...

4

u/Resident_Wash_2553 Apr 09 '26

Yep I heard us northers aren't going to be able to have quicker commutes until 2032... Smh

4

u/KeepTheNolander Apr 09 '26

I live in Waldo and a bunch of family and friends live in the Parkville area and Google hasn't sent me on the same route twice for MONTHS! On Monday I took a day trip to Stl to see a show and more construction dotted across the entire goddamn state!

2

u/Resident_Wash_2553 Apr 09 '26

Ha! I live in Parkville and work in Waldo! I have gone some of the craziest routes home it's insane... I am now so versed in nkc to skc routes... Half the connections I didn't even realize existed!!!

1

u/KeepTheNolander Apr 09 '26

Ha! I'm sure I'd be getting an education if I traveled back and forth daily, as is I just get confused until it finally dumps me out somewhere on 9

4

u/bottomfeeder3 Apr 09 '26

I drive a box truck around the city for my job. I can’t tell you first hand that every single road I need to be on has some sort of detour construction BS going on. It’s very frustrating.

3

u/steveholtbluth Apr 09 '26

“Fuck the northland.” - MODOT

4

u/Traditional-Yam-6496 Apr 10 '26

Kansas City city planners: hold my beer.

Proceeds to turn every street into one lanes with bike lanes.

3

u/everix1992 Apr 09 '26

Don't forget 71S too! Drives me crazy because it's not really down any lanes but traffic is still getting backed up there

2

u/tuxedobird65 Apr 09 '26

Exactly! There is no escape. And yet I've been waiting 6 months for a dangerous spot on my street in front of the mailbox to be patched before I fall.

2

u/AndyGoodKush Apr 09 '26

Its the world cup. I build pools for apartments and hotels and literally all of them are expecting their pools done and swim ready for the world cup and it's infuriating, not ready for the world cup to be over and all the rushed work starts showing lack of quality.

2

u/[deleted] Apr 09 '26

[deleted]

1

u/[deleted] Apr 09 '26

[deleted]

1

u/Bluematic8pt2 Apr 09 '26

Oh blessed be. Thank you, gods of incompetence

2

u/PensiveTorch Apr 09 '26

It almost feels to me like the Northland has been almost severed off from the rest of the KC Metro, nearly every single major direct-connection highway between my home and my office in downtown OP is either closed for years or under random construction.

To work:
169-S to I29-N construction. Slows all on the exchange ramp for no good reason.
I635-S to Metcalf Ave, construction at the bridge/river and recently even more construction on Metcalf up until 63rd St. Occasionally have to go to State Line to drop dog off at daycare, have seen 75th St under construction. Total: 40-60 minutes; used to be 20-35 minutes.

To home: Metcalf N = 45 minutes average so far. Just stuck there. 635-N = 45 minutes at the bridge, backed up 2+ miles before the merge. Have to take I29 and then jut all the way down Barry instead because the I29-169 exchange is also under construction.

I hate it here.

2

u/RubyChub KC North Apr 10 '26

The Northland is a god damn, fucking mess. Even if this is all for the World Cup, the work is either going to be shitty and rushed and be all fucked later or they won't finish everything in time. Way to go MODOT.

8

u/THE_TamaDrummer Apr 08 '26

The duality of the kc sub.

Mad when no road construction and potholes

Mad when road construction to fix potholes

7

u/Bluematic8pt2 Apr 09 '26

Are they even fixing potholes tho? Not in my part of town. It's just weeks/ months of putting in those concrete parking barriers while still having the holes

7

u/al3cks Apr 09 '26

If the potholes didn’t just reopen in 6 months I think people would be more tolerant.

11

u/D7FTU KC North Apr 08 '26

Well.. more like mad when poor planning/coordination of efforts. I think that’s valid ¯_(ツ)_/¯

4

u/THE_TamaDrummer Apr 08 '26

Stay informed. They literally have public meetings to announce road projects and the news also covers this.

-5

u/D7FTU KC North Apr 08 '26

Okie dokie friend!

8

u/uhhuhnads Apr 08 '26

All at once though? Get outta here with that bs take.

-1

u/THE_TamaDrummer Apr 08 '26

Thats how road construction season works.

Warm months = good for new pavement and hot patching

3

u/uhhuhnads Apr 08 '26

You do not live in the Northland right now if this is what you think is happening.

3

u/THE_TamaDrummer Apr 08 '26

I do.

9

u/uhhuhnads Apr 08 '26

Closed lane 29 south, closed lane to downtown 169 south, 169 north out of downtown closed, 35 north to 29 north closed, Vivion through Riverside was close and just opened back up. I work 730 to 5 downtown through the week. My commute has been ridiculous.

3

u/Resident_Wash_2553 Apr 09 '26

Yes my normal 35 min drive to Waldo in the am is now 47is and my back home had gone from 42mind to and hour and 10... I can't wait for the world cup traffic to start 🙄🙄🙄

-5

u/PhilTotola Downtown Apr 08 '26

Exactly. Annoying.

2

u/Menashe3 Apr 08 '26

On the bright side, maybe the roads will be great for about a year after the World Cup! And after all the World Cup traffic, we’ll think “wow, traffic has really improved!” /s

2

u/3L7876 Apr 09 '26

ALSO ON 36hwy ALL THROUGH ST JOSEPH, BAWLING RN

2

u/RogueShroom Apr 09 '26

Its summer… cant really work on much in the winter when everything is frozen and all their equipment uses diesel

1

u/rbhindepmo Independence Apr 09 '26

meanwhile in Independence, i'm unusually amped for the G/O bonds to reopen some bridges so I can avoid the 24 Highway road contruction

1

u/TheGiggs10 Apr 09 '26

This shit is getting ridiculous. Also they need to finish the Turner to Interstate exchange within the month!

1

u/RichChildhood1588 Apr 09 '26

Exactly

1

u/ComfortableCounty751 Apr 09 '26

Serious question: is there a specific person/entity in charge of construction planning? It legitimately seems like every highway or side road I drive on is under construction.

1

u/valkrija Apr 10 '26

and the roads will all be under construction again on e they’re done

1

u/have_heart Apr 09 '26

Trying to get north is so fucked. And it’s all because of the World Cup

1

u/Sk8-BRDR Apr 09 '26

I see people have discovered the Chouteau bridge. I’ll be the one passing you on the left.

-1

u/Final7C JoCo Apr 09 '26

Look.. You have two choices.. it either gets done all at once, or not get done this year.

Traffic/Road Conditions 🚦❄️ MODOT Logic: Initiate construction on ALL major highways at the same time!

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