UPDATED May 5, 2026 – PLEASE NOTE: Due to weather conditions, Topeka Boulevard will not partially reopen today, May 5. The traffic change has been rescheduled to begin on Thursday, May 7, conditions permitting.

Original release below.

As work progresses on the Kansas Department of Transportation’s I-70 Polk-Quincy Viaduct (PQV) project in Topeka, changes to the current traffic patterns will begin to occur in the area.

On or around Tuesday, May 5, Topeka Boulevard will partially reopen. The area between S.W. 4th Street and N.W. Gordon Street will remain limited to one lane in each direction. However, previous turning restrictions at the I-70 interchange (the former 1st Street intersection) will be lifted. New traffic signals will be operational, and motorists will be able to access the westbound I-70 on-ramp via dedicated turn lanes or continue through the intersection.

Motorists exiting from eastbound I-70 will continue to only have access to southbound Topeka Boulevard.

The full closure of I-70 between Topeka Boulevard and 8th Avenue is currently anticipated to begin sometime mid-May to early June. KDOT will provide advance notice and traffic information once the closure’s start date is determined. Motorists are encouraged to review the I-470 detour and other alternative routes prior to this closure.

To help maintain traffic flow and access options during the I-70 closure, KDOT has rescheduled Kansas Avenue’s closure to occur in 2027.

Lane reductions, closures and other traffic changes on local roadways will be necessary in later phases of construction.

More information about the PQV project can be found at ksdot.gov/I-70-Polk-Quincy.

KDOT urges motorists to stay alert and follow posted signs in all work zones. For current road conditions, visit KanDrive.gov or call 511. For updates on highway projects in northeast Kansas, visit ksdot.gov/NortheastNews.

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