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The City of Olathe plans to construct a new interchange at I-35 and Lone Elm Road. HNTB Corporation was selected to provide engineering services, including an interchange Break-in-Access request and design of the interchange. The new interchange will provide exit and entrance ramps to northbound and southbound I-35 from Lone Elm Road. Additional project improvements will include widening I-35 to three lanes in each direction, Lone Elm Road will be improved to a full four-lane divided roadway and 159th Street will be improved to two-lanes of an ultimate four-lane divided roadway. 159th Street will be carried across I-35 and intersect Lone Elm Road.

The need for an interchange at this location has been identified through a number of regional and local transportation plans including the Comprehensive Arterial Road Network Plan (CARNP) for Johnson County, the City of Olathe’s Capital Improvement Program and the Mid-America Regional Council’s (MARC) Long Range Transportation Plan. The I-35 and Lone Elm Road Interchange project will help provide better access and will relieve traffic congestion in this rapidly developing area of the city. As Olathe continues to grow and develop, it is anticipated the area between 151st Street and 175th Street will see even more economic development. The new interchange will serve existing community facilities such as the Olathe Medical Center, the Olathe School District’s sports complex, South Community Park, the New Century AirCenter, and the New Century Business Park. The interchange will also provide better access to the recreational opportunities and park facilities at Cedar Lake. Currently traffic at 151st Street/US 169/K-7 interchange is very congested and travel flow can be quite slow at peak travel times. The widening of I-35 to three lanes in each direction combined with the new interchange at Lone Elm Road will help to alleviate traffic congestion in the area.

The Environmental Assessment has been completed. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) signed and approved the Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) Decision for the I-35 and Lone Elm Road Interchange Environmental Assessment on July 20, 2004. The approval of the FONSI concluded the NEPA process and allowed FHWA to grant final approval on the break-in-access request for the interchange on August 30, 2004.

The project team welcomes questions and comments from residents, businesses and the traveling public. Opportunities to provide input include this web site and public meetings held throughout the life of the project.