U.S. 69 from just south of 151st Street to just north of 103rd Street in Overland Park, Kansas, has been widened from four to six lanes (three lanes in each direction), and interchanges that connect U.S. 69 to the local street network have been modified. The new lanes are express (tolled) lanes to provide additional long-term safety, traffic flow and trip-time reliability benefits on the highway. The existing general-purpose lanes will remain free.
Express lanes are a strategy for improving congestion and travel time reliability. Express lanes enable motorists to choose if they want to pay a toll to achieve more reliable travel time by driving in the free-flowing express lanes. This has the added benefit of also reducing congestion in the toll-free general-purpose lanes.
Pricing
Express Lane Trip Costs
Shown in the graphic at right are example costs anticipated for express lane trips on U.S. 69 at the time of opening. For example, if someone with a KTAG drives the entire length of the corridor northbound during the morning rush hour, that trip could cost $1.30. If someone only drives a portion of the corridor, say from 151st Street to 119th Street, that partial-length trip could cost $0.50.
During off-peak times – mid-day, nighttime and weekends – toll rates go down because fewer vehicles are using the highway. The rates drop to approximately $0.35 for a partial trip and $0.65 for a full-length trip.
In the southbound direction during afternoon rush hour, the rates increase again as traffic increases. The rates are slightly higher in the afternoon because there is more congestion during the afternoon than in the morning rush hour.
Express Lane Trip Costs by Vehicle Axle
U.S. 69 express lane toll rates also vary depending on the number of axles a vehicle has. Express lane drivers with a KTAG and a two-axle vehicle will always pay the rate they see on the overhead signs at the express lane entry points. Drivers without a KTAG will pay 2x the rate on the sign. Vehicles with more than two axles will also pay a higher toll.
The chart below shows the example toll rate for two- to nine-axle vehicles traveling the corridor during mid-day, at night or on the weekend:
*The toll rate for vehicles with more than two axles is calculated with (n-1)*(two-axle toll rate), where n=number of axles.
Payment Options
Tolls will be paid using DriveKS, Kansas’ toll payment system.
This Kansas Turnpike Authority-administered system manages all Kansas toll travel in a single account, whether a vehicle has a KTAG or is identified by its license plate.
By using a KTAG or BancPass, you’ll pay 50% less on tolls.
Without a KTAG or compatible transponder in your vehicle you have payment options:
If you use a compatible transponder, you will pay through that associated account.
DriveKS toll statements can be paid online at DriveKS.com, through the mobile app, over the phone at 800-USE-KTAG, by mail or at a DriveKS customer service location.
Learn more about the DriveKS toll payment system and contact the DriveKS customer service team for assistance with your account or toll payment at: DriveKS.com/help.
Express Lanes Configuration
Express lanes were constructed on the inside of the existing lanes in the previous median and green space. Lanes were built at this location to take advantage of the right-of-way KDOT already owned. Each express lane is separated from the general-purpose lanes using a buffer and marked with a wide double stripe. Northbound and southbound traffic are separated by a concrete barrier.
How Express Lanes Work
- TOLL SIGN
Toll signs display the current price, which is adjusted based on the level of congestion in the express lane to maintain free-flow traffic. - ENTRY AND EXIT
A break in the double white line shows drivers where they can enter and exit the express lane. - TOLLING TECHNOLOGY
Trips in the express lane are recorded electronically and tolls assessed based on the toll rate at that time.
Where Are Express Lane Breaks?
Express lane breaks are the specific locations where drivers can enter and exit the express lanes. Express lanes are separated from the general-purpose lanes by a 4-foot-wide buffer, marked by a solid, double white stripe. Drivers will get in and out of the express lanes where there’s a break in the double white lines.
As shown in the graphic below, drivers on southbound U.S 69 can choose to enter the express lane at 103rd Street or Blue Valley Parkway, followed by an exit to 135th Street, before reaching the end of the express lane at 151st Street. Traveling northbound, drivers can choose to enter the express lane north of 151st Street, with a direct exit to Blue Valley Parkway, then an exit to 119th Street/College Blvd./I-435, before reaching the end of the express lane at 103rd Street. View 69Express Lane drive‑throughs.
Why Use Express Lanes
Express lanes give drivers a choice to pay a small toll to bypass congestion in the free, general-purpose lanes.
Express lanes are a proven congestion-management tool that allows KDOT to manage traffic flow and provide drivers with reliable travel times. This is possible because the express lane toll varies based on congestion levels and time of day to keep express lane trips congestion-free and at least 50 mph. Managing congestion with variable tolling means that no matter how much traffic grows in the future, KDOT can provide a congestion-free trip.
Kansas Tolling Legislation Requirements
In 2019, the Kansas Legislature passed new tolling legislation that includes the following requirements:
- Existing lanes cannot be tolled.
- Tolls can only be collected on new lanes.
- Tolls collected on a roadway can only be used on that roadway.
- KDOT cannot toll a roadway without community support.
- Communities have to ask KDOT to request tolling be evaluated further.
Priced to Manage Congestion
The objective of express lanes is to manage congestion on U.S. 69. To achieve that goal, toll rates must be carefully balanced with traffic levels. If tolls are priced too high or too low, the roadway will not operate as desired.
If tolls are set too high – higher than drivers are willing to pay – then very few will use the express lanes. As shown in the top line of the graphic to the right, the express lane is nearly empty, and the general-purpose lanes become congested.
If the tolls are set too low, as shown in the middle graphic, too many drivers will use the express lane and all lanes will become congested. Performance is the same as it would be with one additional general-purpose (toll-free) lane on U.S. 69.
When pricing is set correctly, the right number of drivers use the express lanes. Traffic is removed from the toll-free, general-purpose lanes, and the express lanes remain free flowing.
RATES TO KEEP TRAFFIC MOVING IN ALL LANES
Users Have Choices
Looking southbound, one of the most frequent trips users make is from the north end of the corridor – coming from downtown, for example – to the exit at 135th Street. During the afternoon rush hour, that trip could cost $1.00. But outside the peak period – on a weekend, when the same driver is rushing to get to the soccer park for a game, for instance – that trip could cost $0.35.
Schedule
The U.S. 69 Corridor Modernization and Expansion Project involved a comprehensive process for determining how best to improve the corridor. The schedule below shows when some of the most significant Project activities occurred.
