Demolition was underway September 15 at the Missouri Route 291 North and U.S. Route 50 interchange in Lee's Summit, marking a visible phase of an overhaul meant to untangle one of the city's busiest highway junctions. Traffic modifications began with lane closures on August 14 and a southbound closure on August 18, with some closures running through November 13. The project will replace the existing interchange with a diverging diamond configuration.
What Drivers Can Expect Through Mid-November
According to MoDOT Kansas City
, demolition is now underway at the interchange, with photos posted to the agency's social media showing the early stages of the teardown. The
Missouri Department of Transportation
The Missouri Department of Transportation says the closures tied to demolition and replacement include shutting down northbound MO 291 across U.S. 50 and closing southbound MO 291 from Blue Parkway to the south side of U.S. 50, a stretch of detours drivers in the area will be navigating for the next two months.
The new interchange design will reconfigure the junction into a diverging diamond layout. The agency is also building a new roundabout at the intersection of Blue Parkway and Jefferson Street on the north side of U.S. 50, reconfiguring how local traffic accesses the highway from the outer road network.
Oldham Parkway Realignment Removes a Signal
As part of the broader overhaul, Oldham Parkway is being realigned to the south, a shift that will let engineers eliminate the existing signalized intersection there, MoDOT notes. The full project corridor stretches from SE 7th Terrace to SE Oldham Parkway, and beyond the interchange work itself, the plan folds in ADA pedestrian improvements and road realignment, with final completion scheduled for January 2027.
The north junction project will use a diverging diamond interchange and a roundabout.
Project Funding Details
The cited materials do not provide a funding breakdown for the project. They also do not detail how Lee's Summit structures long-term transportation co-funding.
Work on a Busy Corridor
The interchange reconstruction is taking place along the MO 291 and U.S. 50 corridors in Lee's Summit.
The broader overhaul also includes work near Oldham Parkway.
The interchange project isn't the only major infrastructure headache Lee's Summit drivers have dealt with this year. Hoodline previously reported on lingering Pryor Road work, another $25 million municipal project that has stretched patience across the city. With the MO 291 and U.S. 50 demolition now underway and closures locked in through mid-November, drivers in the area have another multi-month detour to plan around before the diverging diamond and new roundabout are ready for traffic.
