The Infamous Flintlock Flyover

Crossing I-35 is going to be easier by the time school starts in the fall of 2013.  The long-planned Flintlock Flyover project is finally going to bid this month. 

Where is the Flintlock Flyover?  It's hard to describe.  It will connect Flintlock Road at 76th Street across I-35 over to Liberty Drive and go behind South Valley Middle School.

Part of the reason why the project has taken so long is the the location of the project is one of the worst places to try and build a street. 

Crossing an interstate with outer roads at a skew creates a very long bridge.  Crossing an interstate with outer roads at a skew where the interstate also crosses a creek makes an even longer bridge.  Crossing an interstate with outer roads at a skew where the interstate also crosses a creek which is more twisted than a pretzel makes an obnoxiously and expensive longer bridge.

The project is funded by a federal earmark with a local match provided by Liberty, KCMO, and the Shoal Creek TIF and MoDOT will be providing in-kind management of the design and construction.

Even though I live 10 miles away, I am looking forward to this project being open.  I referee basketball at South Valley Middle School and at the Liberty Community Center and am ecstatic that this route will get me to games on time and eliminate the gamble on time one takes getting through Liberty on 152.  The connection combined with the improvements to Soccer Drive will provide an option to get across I-435 and I-35 without getting on 152.

MoDOT set up a website for the project.  A PDF for the area can be opened here. Download Flintlock-Overview

Comments

[Doug Anderson]

Back in March we moved to Trails of Northbrook which is near 76th and Shoal Creek Pkwy. Used to live over in Wildwood West a few miles west of Zona Rosa. So we would visit this area a few times a year, now that we live over here we are in it weekly. I used to not like crossing 35 to get to Liberty at 152, now I hate it. This flyover will be nice, but estimates put it at relieving 7,500 vehicles a day, when the 152/35 corridor currently processes 30,000 vehicles per day.

Unfortunately the real answer is making 152 a flyover. And I can't find anything on the MoDOT website about even studying this aspect. Everything seems to revolve making improvements to interchanges north and south of 152 along 35.