FAQs

The U.S. 69 Corridor Modernization and Expansion Project — also known as 69Express — will address long-term congestion on U.S. 69 between 103rd and 151st Streets in Overland Park. The interchange at 167th Street is also part of this Project.

Studies and related projects over the last 25 years have identified safety and congestion issues along U.S. 69 that are projected to grow significantly. U.S. 69 traffic volumes have steadily increased post-COVID and, as of June 2021, now exceed pre-pandemic levels. Traffic volume is projected to increase so much that the travel time between 103rd and 179th Streets would grow from about 15 minutes today to 90 minutes or more by 2050. This demand is driven by growth in Overland Park and areas south of the city. Overland Park is expected to grow to 236,000 people by 2036, a 23.2% increase over its 2018 population.

The Environmental Assessment (EA), traffic, safety and toll feasibility analyses began in October 2020, and a noise study began in summer 2021. The completed toll feasibility study supported implementation of express lanes on U.S. 69. The EA was completed in 2021. These studies showed both community support and environmental clearance. KDOT released the Request for Proposals (RFP) on July 8, 2022, and announced the winning design-build team in September 2022. Final design on Phase 1 (adding a lane in each direction from 103rd to 151st Streets, plus reconstructing the 167th Street interchange) began in 2022. Some utility movement and survey work were done in late 2022. Major construction began in spring 2023.

In the first phase of the Project, express lanes will be from 103rd Street to 151st Street.

The Overland Park City Council approved the widening of U.S. 69 with express lanes on June 21, 2021. The City of Overland Park, in consultation with KDOT, then proposed express lanes to the Kansas Turnpike Authority Board and the State Finance Council for their respective approvals. Those bodies voted in favor of the Project as presented. On July 8, 2021, KDOT announced that the Project would advance from KDOT’s development pipeline to construction.

Major construction on the U.S. 69 Expansion Project’s first phase between 103rd and 151st Streets began in 2023. The express lanes, one in each direction, will be open to traffic in January 2026. All Project construction will be complete by the end of 2026. Work planned between 2024 and 2025 is listed under the “Construction” tab at the top of this website. Most construction work in 2024 is taking place at 135th Street, 139th Street, 143rd Street, and the Blue Valley Parkway interchange, with a major closure of the 119th Street interchange for reconstruction.

In 2025, remaining work will take place along U.S. 69 between Blue Valley Parkway and I‑435, and the U.S. 69 and 167th Street interchange will be reconstructed.

To ensure pedestrian safety, some trails under U.S. 69 have been closed during construction. Please visit the City of Overland Park Trail Closures Map for more information. At this time, the following trail sections are closed: the following trail sections are closed:

• Tomahawk Creek Trail — Scheduled to reopen in early 2025
• Trail along US-69 between 127th Street and 132nd Street — Scheduled to reopen in summer 2025
• Indian Creek Trail — Scheduled to reopen in early 2025

The home page of this website includes an interactive map and a full list of the closure information, dates and locations. You also may click a button at the top of the home page to sign up to have text alerts about road closures delivered directly to your mobile phone. You may choose which locations along U.S. 69 interest you and receive updates when closures impact these areas.

The express lanes and general-purpose lanes will be separated by a double white line. The express lanes will have dedicated access points along the corridor for drivers to enter the express lane. Drivers will be able to enter U.S. 69 just as they do now, and then enter the express lanes at the dedicated access points. When drivers using an express lane want to exit U.S. 69, they will move out of the express lane and back into the general-purpose lanes, then use the exit ramps along the roadway as they do now.

Drivers will have direct access from the northbound U.S. 69 express lane to Blue Valley Parkway. Similarly, they will have dedicated access from southbound Blue Valley Parkway to the southbound U.S.69 express lane. The same access that is provided today will continue to be available between Blue Valley Parkway and the U.S. 69 general-purpose lanes.

Tolls will be collected electronically using a KTAG or another compatible transponder or by mailing a bill using the vehicle’s registration information. To prepare for use of the U.S. 69 express lanes and pay the lowest toll, we recommend customers get a KTAG or compatible transponder.

Yes. KTAGs will be the most cost-effective way to pay tolls on U.S. 69. A KTAG is a small device (like a sticker) called a transponder that adheres to the inside of vehicle’s windshield. Customers who use a KTAG or another valid, compatible transponder will pay the lowest toll on 69Express and all Kansas toll facilities — 50% less than those who do not use a KTAG. KTAGs also can be used in Oklahoma, Texas and most toll facilities in Florida and Colorado.

Drivers who do not have KTAGs can sign up at driveks.com/tolling/ktag. KTAG transponders are free and can be mailed directly to the user.

Tolls accrued on a KTAG will be charged to a customer’s bank account or credit/debit card each month. Users also may choose a pre-paid option, available at select Kansas retailers or online at www.BancPass.com.

For customers who already have KTAG accounts, trips taken in the U.S. 69 express lanes will appear on their KTAG monthly statements.

There are two types of enforcement to consider:

1. Refusing to pay tolls levied for use of the express lanes and
2. Improper use of the lanes on the roadway.

Refusing to pay tolls will follow the same administrative process as is done on the Kansas Turnpike. This can include referral to a collection agent or placement of a registration hold on the vehicle until the tolls are paid. Customers are given multiple opportunities to pay the tolls before escalating to those steps.

Law enforcement will monitor use of the roadway and enforce its proper use. For example, not using the designated entry and exit points and crossing through the double white line would be ticketed as a moving violation similar to exceeding the speed limit.

The Project team looked at how each Add Capacity alternative compared in terms of engineering and cost — that is, how easily each one can be designed, built and maintained. Express lanes overall perform better from an engineering and cost standpoint. They require a smaller footprint than traditional widening does. They have fewer right-of-way impacts and displace fewer homes and businesses than just adding lanes. As a result, they cost less to build and maintain.

Express lanes also do a better job of reducing congestion and improving travel time reliability. Express lanes enable drivers to choose if they want to pay a toll to drive in the free-flowing express lanes, which in turn helps reduce congestion in the toll-free, general-purpose lanes. Express lanes also generate revenue that fund the City of Overland Park’s local contribution, which helped accelerate the Project’s construction schedule.

High-Occupancy-Vehicle (HOV) lanes won’t significantly reduce congestion on U.S. 69. The highway has high single-occupancy traffic volume, and the traffic comes and goes from a diverse set of locations. Additionally, many jurisdictions have found that the cost of HOV enforcement — whether tolled or untolled — is so high in terms of detection equipment and law enforcement that it makes HOV lanes an impractical strategy. Around the country, many HOV lanes are being converted to HOT (high-occupancy toll) lanes.

Current density and growth patterns in Overland Park and the region don’t support light rail as a feasible solution. Light rail would be expensive to build for the length of the corridor and there isn’t enough existing right-of-way availability, which would mean impacting people’s homes and businesses.

For this corridor, based on land use and growth patterns in Overland Park and the region, it is necessary to widen the highway. The express lanes planned for the corridor will help manage congestion through dynamic pricing for a longer time period than just adding a free lane would. Additional bus service, park-and-ride facilities and bike lanes are being considered, but demand and the density of development don’t make more bus service viable as a stand-alone solution. KDOT is working with Johnson County Transit and Kansas City Area Transit Authority to encourage more bus ridership. KDOT also led an extensive public engagement process to understand other concerns. U.S. 69 presents a complex problem, and KDOT and its partners are working to address safety and congestion and meet the demands of the traveling public.

Express lanes offer a way for U.S. 69 users to generate revenue that will fund Overland Park’s local contribution. As the tolls are collected, that revenue over time will be used to offset KDOT’s initial construction investment to build the new lanes.

Local contributions are funds and other things of value that cities, counties and sometimes the private sector provide to advance important infrastructure projects. In the case of 69Express, the City of Overland Park’s local contribution to the first phase of construction is $30 million.

The 69Express Project includes:

• Reconstructing the existing four lanes on U.S. 69 between 103rd Street and 151st Street
• Adding two new express lanes (one northbound, one southbound) between 103rd Street and 151st Street
• Reconstructing the interchange ramps at I‑435, College Blvd., 119th Street, Blue Valley Parkway, 135th Street, 151st Street and 167th Street
• Multiple bridge replacements
• Constructing 11 noise walls

The cost of that work is $572 million. For more information, download the 69Express Funding Fact Sheet.

Variable rate tolling means toll rates change with traffic volumes to keep the toll lanes flowing smoothly while also improving traffic flow in the toll-free, general-purpose lanes. Overhead signs communicate the current toll rate to drivers, so they can choose for themselves whether they want to pay that price to drive in the free-flowing toll lane.

Rates for various classes of travelers will be set when 69Express opens in early 2026. Rates will vary based on congestion levels. It is expected that, when the express lanes open, tolls rates between 103rd and 151st Streets will vary from $0.30 to $1.75, depending upon the length of the trip and the time of day.

Yes. In a May 2021 survey of area residents, nearly 40% of respondents said they would use the express lanes all of the time, most of the time or some of the time to avoid congestion on U.S. 69. Express lanes will provide a more-reliable travel time. Traffic analyses show that the express lanes would have an average speed of 55 miles per hour (mph). Drivers will use the express lanes to bypass congestion, especially when a predictable travel time is critical, such as getting to an important meeting or picking up a child from daycare.

The Express lanes are planned to raise the City of Overland Park’s $30 million local contribution. Adjusted for inflation and included maintenance, it is estimated that the express lane tolls will generate the $30 million contribution between 2037 and 2042.

By statute, toll revenue raised by this Project must be spent on Project expenses. Toll revenue first will cover its own cost of collection (operations, maintenance and periodic replacement of the roadside toll system), and then will be used to reimburse KDOT for the City’s local contribution toward initial construction costs.

The Project has determined that the net revenue of the express lanes can fund the local contribution from the City of Overland Park. Tolls will be in place until the $30 million local contribution is met. At that time, City of Overland Park and KDOT will determine if the express lane operation should continue.

No. Tolls will generate revenue for Overland Park’s local contribution and are a tool used to manage traffic volumes in the tolled and free lanes.

No.

No. State law mandates that any existing lane in Kansas must remain untolled. Only new, additional lanes can be tolled — and only after a lengthy, detailed partnership process involving the community, KDOT, KTA and state elected officials.

No. Low-income drivers suffer from traffic congestion now. Express lanes will provide congestion relief to all drivers even if they don’t use the tolled lanes. Drivers can choose to use the express lanes occasionally when they would benefit most from reliable travel times. Additionally, KDOT will be working with low-income and other traditionally underserved communities to identify strategies to minimize impacts to them prior to the Project’s opening.

State legislation passed in 2019 allowed express lanes if requested by a local community in partnership with the Kansas Department of Transportation. The Overland Park City Council voted 10-2 to advance its U.S. 69 express lanes proposal on June 21, 2021. The proposal received approval by the Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA), the state’s toll agency, and by the State Finance Council (SFC), a group comprised of the Governor and legislative leaders and created by statute to consider needed actions when the legislature is not in session and/or when specific legislation calls upon approval of the SFC.

The express lanes will permit transit vehicles to use the express lanes at a reduced toll rate. This will allow individual transit riders to access a reliable trip at a low or no cost. All hike/bike paths or sidewalks affected by Project construction will be restored as part of the Project. Additionally, bike trails and sidewalks are being added at the 139th Street crossing of U.S. 69; bike trails, bike lanes and sidewalks are being added along 167th Street from Antioch to Metcalf.

The U.S. 69 express lanes will be owned and maintained by KDOT. Toll collection and billing will be handled by the Kansas Turnpike Authority.

The EA examined six alternatives for addressing U.S. 69 safety and congestion issues:

• No-Build, used as a benchmark for comparison with build alternatives;
• Improvement to alternative routes;
• Existing capacity management through technologies (for example, ramp metering, queue warning systems and other traveler information) or demand management, including carpooling and staggering work shifts;
• Multimodal, primarily bus improvements such as increasing the frequency and number of transit routes, bus on shoulder and transit on demand; and improving bike and pedestrian facilities;
• Add Capacity — Traditional Widening; and
• Add Capacity — express lanes.

Strategies such as expanded transit, interchange improvements and ramp metering are not sufficient to address problems in the corridor. They also cost more and take much longer to implement and provide improvement benefits. New capacity — in the form of added lanes — was needed to address current and future congestion.

After much study, the Project Team determined that express lanes are the best way to widen the highway in terms of cost and additional long-term safety, traffic flow and trip time reliability benefits. Based upon approvals in June 2021 by the Overland Park City Council, the Kansas Turnpike Authority and the State Finance Council, U.S. 69 is being widened with one new express lane in each direction. The two existing lanes in each direction are being rebuilt and will remain free to use.

An express lane is a lane available to any driver who chooses to pay a user fee (toll) to achieve a more-reliable travel time. The toll rate goes up as traffic increases (such as during rush hour or other peak traffic times) to keep the toll lane flowing smoothly and the toll-free, general-purpose lanes also flowing better. Tolls are collected automatically via electronic transponders or with license plate readers. The current price to enter the toll lane is communicated to drivers via signs so drivers choose for themselves whether they want to pay that price to drive in the free-flowing toll lane. Thus, the price of the toll varies with the amount of traffic in the corridor. By providing choices, express lanes reduce delays, manage congestion and keep travel times reliable for drivers.

The U.S. 69 Expansion Project has evolved over time as a result of frequent, extensive outreach to people who use or rely on the corridor between 103rd and 179th Streets. In addition to years of outreach connected to previous studies regarding how to improve U.S. 69, the Project Team, among other efforts, interviewed community leaders, held focus groups with corridor users, conducted multiple statistically valid surveys and held multiple online and in-person community briefings and public meetings. As a result, a number of significant design changes were made in the Project, including but not limited to:

• Express Lanes — This solution was developed in response to public demand for a faster, cheaper and more lasting solution to U.S. 69 congestion.
• Equity Strategies — Although people were willing to consider express lanes as a solution, they also wanted to make sure the lanes did not cause unforeseen issues for lower-income or disadvantaged motorists. As a result, an Equity Committee was set up to identify what issues, if any, may arise and to develop solutions that would be implemented before the express lanes open in early 2026.
• Design and Alignment Changes — Area residents and travelers throughout the community engagement process identified areas of concern where they wanted to see design changes to minimize local impacts or to improve safety, access or other desired outcomes. Some examples include:
  • At 139th Street, design changes were made to provide desired bike/ped accommodations and to address local safety concerns;
  • Corridor users were concerned about the ease and safety of accessing the express lanes to and from Blue Valley Parkway, so direct access was designed into the facility; and
  • Federal funding was sought and secured in response to local need for improved, safer 167th Street access to and from U.S. 69.

Finally, it’s important to note that U.S. 69 improvements will be built using design-build, an alternative project delivery approach. Design-build allows the Project to be completed on the fastest possible schedule, which 69Express surveys showed was a priority for the public.

The Project team evaluated potential noise impacts as part of the Environmental Assessment and determined whether noise control measures were warranted and could be feasibly and reasonably built under federal and state policies. To improve uniformity on the Project, KDOT used the same version of the noise policy it used on the previous I‑435 and U.S. 69 projects — along with updated traffic volumes and design information for U.S. 69’s current and projected conditions.

KDOT reviewed the study results, including recommendations for noise abatement such as sound walls, with the Overland Park City Council. Results were presented to the public at a Dec. 8, 2021, virtual meeting. For locations where noise walls were recommended for inclusion in the Project, KDOT met with Benefitted Receptors the week of Jan. 24, 2022, to determine if they wanted noise walls. Following these discussions, it was determined that 11 noise walls will be installed along the corridor. Beginning at 151st Street, they are primarily being built along the residential areas of the corridor up to Indian Creek. Walls between 119th Street and I‑35 were installed with previous projects. Find more information on the Noise Study page.

The U.S. Department of Transportation defines a Benefitted Receptor as a property receiving at least a 5 decibel (dB) reduction in noise levels from a proposed noise abatement measure such as a noise wall. Find more information on the Noise Study page.

A detailed FHWA noise model analyzed different noise wall designs and effectiveness at locations within about 500 feet of U.S. 69. The model assumes that the noise receptor faces the highway at about 5 feet from the exterior wall of each structure. A receptor is considered benefitted when at least a 5 dB reduction is predicted to occur with the future roadway configuration and traffic levels. Find more information on the Noise Study page.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, a 5 dB change is the level at which most people perceive a perceptible sound difference.

There is no standard example of what a 5 dB reduction will sound like as different people will perceive the reduction differently.

Anyone was able to attend the noise meetings, which were publicized in the local media, on the Project website and through Project social media. Only Benefitted Receptors were invited, however, as they were the only ones eligible to vote on whether to approve any proposed noise mitigation solution for their area. The invitation sent to each of them was to make sure they knew about the opportunity to cast their votes.

Meeting times were selected to make it convenient for Benefitted Receptors and others to attend a meeting associated with the noise wall proposed for a location near them. This enabled them to receive details on the findings from the 69Express Noise Study most pertinent to them, learn about potential solutions to reduce noise impacts and have an opportunity to speak directly with Project team members about the study findings.

Each one voted on whether KDOT should build the proposed noise wall it was recommending for the Benefitted Receptor’s area. Under federal and KDOT policies, proposed noise walls are constructed only if approved by the Benefitted Receptors. Only Benefitted Receptors are eligible to vote on noise abatement measures. The Benefitted Receptors approved all 11 noise walls KDOT proposed. Find more information on the Resources Tab/Noise Study page.

They did not vote on the type of wall, physical attributes (length, height, etc.), landscaping, location, material, surface design or color.

The eligibility to vote is set by federal regulation.

An Environmental Assessment (EA) established a Purpose and Need for the Project and then assessed potential solutions in terms of how well they fulfilled the Purpose and Need. The EA initially identified five Purpose and Need criteria for evaluating potential solutions to the problems of U.S. 69 congestion and safety:

• Improve safety to address crash frequency and severity within the corridor;
• Reduce congestion and improve traffic operations to meet existing and future travel demands;
• Promote sustainability by addressing infrastructure conditions and ongoing operations and maintenance needs, supporting environmental stewardship, as well as improving long‐term traveler reliability;
• Provide flexible choices by promoting a transportation system that accommodates the needs for all users and modes; and
• Accommodate local and regional growth through coordinated transportation improvements consistent with planned and proposed community land use.

The Project’s EA evaluated impacts of various solutions on climate change, including how the Project will improve safety and congestion, increase transit options and minimize impacts to the natural and built environment.

One of the key criteria within the Alternative Screening Process was limiting impacts to the natural environment. The Express Lanes Alternative most satisfied this requirement while also meeting the Project’s Purpose and Need. This Alternative does not mean there will be no impacts to the natural environment. Rather, impacts will be limited and mitigated as best possible within the Project constraints.

Within the Project area right-of-way, there were wooded areas and scattered trees that could have served as nesting grounds for several migratory bird species and northern long-eared bats. With guidance from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, provisions were made to avoid the displacement or injury of roosts, eggs and nestlings. Because the nesting season generally occurs between April 1 and September 15, the contractor determined it best to remove the trees prior to March 1, well in advance of the nesting season. Completing the tree removal by March 1 became a contractual obligation for the contractor team.

In addition to these efforts, the design-build team was required to inspect each bridge that will be rehabilitated, prior to construction, to ensure that there are no active bird nests or roosts, thus avoiding injury to eggs or nestlings.

For more information, please see Chapter 3 of the Environmental Assessment.

The Project team is in discussion with the City of Overland Park to identify a solution for future trees and lost foliage.

Regardless of size, trees and shrubbery do not substantially reduce noise from adjacent highways, as noise levels determined by measuring instruments show. If desired, residents can landscape or plant trees on their properties at their convenience. Construction will not impact property, unless acquired as a part of the right-of-way agreement. Additional information on the noise studies completed for this Project are available on the Noise Study page.

To submit comments and/or receive more information about the Project, email the Project team at Info@69Express.org.

The best way to learn about Project progress and make your voice heard is by attending the virtual or hybrid public meetings that will take place.

Groups also may request project presentations through the U.S. 69 Expansion Project website at Feedback — 69Express. Other ways to stay involved include visiting the Project website periodically at 69Express.ksdot.gov and its Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter) pages. The Project’s website and social media pages enable you to leave comments for members of the Project team. Team members will respond as soon as possible. You may also sign up for Project updates and newsletters.