In Spring 2026, the Missouri Department of Transportation will reopen northbound U.S. Highway 169 just north of the Kansas City Downtown Airport Charles B. Wheeler Field in a new traffic pattern.
As part of the new traffic pattern, crossovers will be constructed, and northbound and southbound Hwy. 169 traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction and placed in a head-to-head traffic pattern across the southbound Hwy. 169 viaduct bridge. This will allow northbound Hwy. 169 to open to traffic across the southbound Hwy. 169 viaduct bridge.
On Dec. 16, 2025, the northbound Hwy. 169 viaduct bridge was closed for further evaluation due to problems with an expansion joint. After further evaluation, MoDOT determined it was necessary to keep the bridge closed. This bridge was already scheduled for replacement this summer.
According to MoDOT, this is a very challenging project due to the bridge length, desire to improve horizontal geometry, coordination with outside entities (KCMO, BNSF Railroad, and the NKC Levee District), and tight working areas.
Construction on the new bridge is anticipated to begin the Summer of 2026 following the World Cup and will last for two full years due to demolition of the existing bridge as well as bridge, roadway and retaining wall construction.
The new traffic pattern on Hwy. 169 will begin just past the Kansas City Downtown Airport and end just north of the viaduct bridges near Briarcliff Parkway and Highway 9. The speed limit will be reduced from 55 mph to 45 mph throughout the project area.
The new traffic pattern will open over the southbound Hwy. 169 viaduct bridge after the completion of the design and construction of the crossover roadway. An exact timeline for the opening of the new traffic pattern will be shared once finalized in the spring. This work is weather-dependent.
The following traffic impacts will be in place beginning in Spring 2026:
Highway 9 traffic will not be able to access southbound Hwy. 169
Northbound Hwy. 169 traffic will not be able to exit onto Hwy. 9.
Access to the downtown airport will be maintained on northbound Hwy. 169 across the Buck O’Neil Bridge.
In addition, during construction of the crossovers the southbound Hwy. 169 viaduct bridge may be closed for 2-3 days for the installation of new traffic control devices. Short-term traffic impacts are also expected during the construction of the crossovers.
Motorists traveling on northbound Hwy. 169 are encouraged to utilize Hwy. 9 and Interstate 29/35 to navigate around the closure. The nearby river crossings of Fairfax, Chouteau, Heart of America Bridge, Kit Bond Bridge and the I-435 River Bridge are also recommended for motorists to use to navigate around the project area.
For more information about MoDOT news, projects or events, visit the website at www.modot.org/kansascity. For instant updates, follow MoDOT_KC on X, or share posts and comments on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MoDOT.KansasCity/.