Kansas City plans two-year I-670 closure for park

Interstate 670 through downtown Kansas City is scheduled to close in both directions in early December 2026 and remain shut through September 2028 for the first phase of the Roy Blunt Luminary Park project. Work will build roughly half of the tunnel infrastructure that will support the park and its first block, between Wyandotte and Baltimore streets; nearby streets will also face intermittent closures, with the overall project expected to finish in spring 2029. The planned 5.5-acre park will cap part of the interstate, creating green space and public amenities intended to reconnect downtown with the Crossroads and surrounding neighborhoods. Officials say businesses will remain accessible via marked detours, but drivers and downtown workers are bracing for significant congestion and longer commutes. The I-670 work will overlap with an approximately 11-month I-70 closure beginning in early 2027, adding to anticipated traffic disruption.