Interstate 670 (I-670) is a connector highway between

I-70 Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a park and ride lot just east of I-695 in Baltimore, Maryland, and is the fifth-longest Interstate in the co ...

Kansas City, Kansas Kansas City, abbreviated as "KCK", is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As of ...

, and

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

. The highway provides a more direct route through

Downtown Kansas City Downtown Kansas City is the central business district (CBD) of Kansas City, Missouri and the Kansas City metropolitan area. It is between the Missouri River in the north, to 31st Street in the south; and from the Kansas–Missouri state line east ...

than the older mainline I-70 and avoids the sharp turn (and reduced speed limit) of the latter at the west end of the Intercity Viaduct. I-670 also makes up the south side of Kansas City's

Downtown Loop The Downtown Loop may refer to: * Downtown Loop (Kansas City) * Atlanta Streetcar See also * Chicago Loop * Delmar Loop The Delmar Loop, often referred to by St. Louis residents simply as The Loop, is an entertainment, cultural and restaurant ...

, where it passes under the southern half of the

Kansas City Convention Center The Kansas City Convention Center, originally Bartle Hall Convention Center or Bartle Hall, is a major convention center in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, USA. It was named for Harold Roe Bartle, a prominent, two-term mayor of Kansas City in th ...

. The road crosses the

Kansas River The Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, is a river in northeastern Kansas in the United States. It is the southwesternmost part of the Missouri River drainage, which is in turn the northwesternmost portion of the extensive Mississippi River dr ...

and the

West Bottoms The West Bottoms is an industrial area immediately to the west of downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Located in Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas City, Kansas it sits at the confluence of the Missouri River and the Kansas River. The area is one ...

, the former location of the

Kansas City Stockyards The Kansas City Stockyards in the West Bottoms west of downtown Kansas City, Missouri flourished from 1871 until closing in 1991. Jay B. Dillingham was the President of the stockyards from 1948 to its closing in 1991. History The stockyards w ...

, on the I-670 Viaduct. The leg of the highway west of

I-35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...

is known as the Jay B. Dillingham Freeway. Jay B. Dillingham was a former president of the Stockyards.

Route description

I-670 begins in

, as ramps from

/ U.S. Route 24 (US 24)/ US 40/ US 169 meet to form the freeway just before a bridge over the

, which is located just south of its confluence with the Missouri River. The freeway then crosses the

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

–

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

state line and enters

. The road then has an interchange with

just before passing beneath the

. The freeway passes just to the south of the

Kansas City Power & Light District The Kansas City Power & Light District, or simply the Power & Light District, KCP&L or the P&L, is a dining, shopping, office and entertainment district in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, United States, developed by The Cordish Companies of B ...

and

T-Mobile Center T-Mobile Center (formerly Sprint Center) is a multi-purpose arena in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. It is located at the intersection of 14th Street and Grand Boulevard on the east side of the Power & Light District. It has effectively becom ...

in Downtown Kansas City. It meets up with

/ US 40 again on the southeastern corner of the downtown area; US 71 comprises the north–south portion of the interchange. In Missouri, I-670 is signed as an

alternate route An official alternate route is a special route in the United States that provides an alternate alignment for a highway. They are loop roads and found in many road systems in the United States including the U.S. Highway system and various state an ...

to I-70.

History

The freeway was not part of the original planned freeways around Kansas City in 1955. The section east of the I-35 interchange was built first and finished in 1968. The western portion was not planned until 1971 and was not finished until several years later. By 1987, the freeway was extended slightly westward in the Downtown Kansas City area but was not fully extended to I-70 until 1991, when it was fully opened. On May 20, 1997, sections of I-670 and I-35 in Downtown Kansas City were closed for the filming of a

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

for the U2 song " Last Night on Earth". The closure, which was criticized by a local

American Automobile Association American Automobile Association (AAA – commonly pronounced as "Triple A") is a federation of motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a privately held not-for-profit national member association and service organization with over 60 m ...

official, caused some traffic congestion and was the subject of 50–60 complaints to the city government.

Exit list

References

External links

* Kansas Highway Maps
CurrentHistoric
KDOT
Interstate-Guide.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Interstate 670 (Kansas-Missouri) 6 Kansas 70-6 Kansas-Missouri 70-6 70-6 Transportation in the Kansas City metropolitan area Transportation in Kansas City, Kansas Transportation in Wyandotte County, Kansas Transportation in Jackson County, Missouri