Improving Travel Reliability on One of the Busiest Highways in Kansas

Client

Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA), and the City of Overland Park, Kansas

Location

Overland Park, KS

Challenge

The U.S. 69 Expansion (69Express) project was launched to improve one of the state’s busiest highway corridors, addressing congestion and reliability along a critical stretch between 103rd Street and 151st Street.

The design-build project required rapid early-phase geotechnical data to support a compressed schedule with evolving design priorities. Additional challenges included coordinating work along an active roadway, performing the subsurface exploration of critical bridge replacements at night to limit traffic disruption, and navigating limited access to traffic control and permitting during early stages.

Solution

Terracon joined the project during the early design phase in 2022, providing geotechnical site exploration, laboratory testing, analysis, and recommendations to support design decisions.

During the design phase, Terracon conducted a large-scale subsurface exploration program using six drilling crews from our Lenexa, KS, and Springfield, MO offices, with the support of other offices in the region as well as subcontractors. The team completed approximately 550 borings ranging from 10 to 100 feet in depth.

Terracon addressed project risks through detailed pre-task planning, prioritizing safety and adapting to changing project conditions. Terracon continued as the Geotechnical Engineer of Record, supporting foundation evaluations and recommendations for sign and signal poles, light poles, sound walls, and retaining walls.

Results

The 69Express project widened the corridor from four to six lanes and introduced express toll lanes designed to improve safety, traffic flow, and travel time reliability while maintaining free access to general-purpose lanes.

The express lanes officially opened in February 2026, delivering increased capacity and improved mobility along a key transportation route in the Kansas City metro area.

Through early involvement, technical expertise, effective communication, and strong collaboration among project stakeholders, Terracon supported the successful delivery of a project that will benefit the region for years to come.