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Downtown Loop (Kansas City)

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Downtown Loop
The southern portion of the loop (Interstate 670) at night
Map
Location
Kansas City, Missouri
Coordinates39°06′06″N 94°34′57″W / 39.1017°N 94.5825°W / 39.1017; -94.5825
Roads at
junction
Construction
TypeLoop around downtown
Maintained byMoDOT

The Downtown Loop (nicknamed the Alphabet Loop) is a complex layout of highways in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri involving 24 exits, four Interstate Highways, four U.S. Highways, and numerous city streets. Each exit is numbered 2 and suffixed with every letter of the alphabet except I and O (to avoid confusion with the numbers 1 and 0). The entire circumference of the loop is just over 4 miles (6.4 km).

Overview

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The system is nicknamed the Alphabet Loop due to all exits having letter suffixes.[1][2][3] Alphabetically, the letter suffixes begin with A in the northwest corner of the loop and proceed forward in a clockwise direction around the loop. Eastbound on the north side of the loop (EB I-70/NB I-35) are A through G; then H through M southbound on the east side (EB I-70/SB US 71); then N through U westbound on the south side (WB I-670); and finally V through Z northbound on the west side (NB I-35 alone).

Interstate 70 enters the southeast corner of the loop and moves north forming the east and north sides of the loop and exiting in the northwest corner. Exits on I-70 range from 2A to 2M.

Interstate 35 enters the loop at its northeast corner, joining I-70 on the north side and forming the west side of the loop before exiting in the southwest corner. Exits on I-35 range from 2F to 2A while it overlaps I-70, and 2Y to 2U after I-70 exits the loop.

Interstate 29 does not enter the loop. It begins at the northeast corner and continues north, concurrent with I-35. These two leave the loop via the Christopher S. Bond Bridge and split several miles north.

Interstate 670 forms the south side of the loop. I-670 splits from I-70 in Kansas City, Kansas, crosses over I-70 and enters the loop in the southwest corner, rejoining I-70 and ending in Kansas City, Missouri in the southeast corner of the loop. I-670 is also signed as Alternate I-70.

U.S. Route 71 is a highway that enters the loop in the southeast corner and leaves the loop with I-29 and I-35 in the northeast corner.

U.S. Route 24 is a major city street which enters the loop in the northeast corner and follows I-35 and I-70 along the north side of the loop. Former US 24 now US-Bus 24 is also known as Independence Ave/Blvd and provides a street-level connection to Independence, Missouri.

U.S. Route 40 overlaps I-70 throughout the northern and eastern sections of the loop.

U.S. Route 169 enters the loop in the northwest corner from the Buck O'Neil Bridge, and joins I-70, continuing westward.

Route 9 also provides access to the loop, ending at I-70 after crossing the Heart of America Bridge from North Kansas City.

History

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The west side of the loop was built over a scenic road called Kersey Coates Drive. It had many affluent homes, and stairs lead down from Case Park immediately to the east. When the loop was completed, the multi-lane Interstate cut further into the bluff and these homes were razed.[4] The stairway from Case Park was cut off halfway and remains between exits 2W and 2X.

A March 2010 preliminary study[5] of the Kansas City I-70 corridor made several innovative suggestions to relieve congestion in the downtown area. One proposal was to make the loop unidirectional, where the loop would essentially become a large roundabout. In 2022, plans were approved to construct a $160 million cap over a stretch of I-670, on the loop's southern half. The cap is planned to be topped with a public park called South Loop Link.[6]

Exit list

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The following is the list of exits inside the loop in order as encountered if entering the loop from eastbound I-70.

Clockwise exits

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The entire route is in Kansas City, Jackson County.

mikmExitDestinationsNotes
2DMain Street
2E
Route 9 north / Oak Street
2G

I-35 north / I-29 north
Left exit
2H

US 24 Bus. east
Left exit
2J11th Street


I-70 east / US 40 east



I-70 east to I-435 south – St. Louis, Joplin
Left exit
2M
US 71 south
Left exit
2L

I-670 to I-35 south
Continuation of Loop
2SBroadway

I-70 alt / I-670 west
Left exit
2T
I-35 south / I-35 north
Continuation of Loop

I-35 south
Left exit

I-35 north / 12th Street
Continuation of Loop
2W12th Street
2X


I-70 west / US 40 west / US 169 south
2Y
US 169 north
2ZBroadway
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Counterclockwise exits

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The entire route is in Kansas City, Jackson County.

mikmExitDestinationsNotes
2W12th Street

I-35 south
2U
I-70 east
Continuation of Loop; left exit
2M
US 71 south


I-70 east / US 40 east



I-70 east to I-435 south – St. Louis, Joplin
2N


I-35 north / I-29 north / US 71 north
Continuation of Loop; left exit
2H




To US 24 Bus. east / Route 9 north / Admiral Boulevard
2G


I-29 north / I-35 north / US 71 north
2FOak Street, Grand Avenue, Walnut Street
2DMain-Delaware, Wyandotte Street
2C
US 169 north / Broadway



I-70 west / US 40 west / US 169 south
2A
I-35 south
Continuation of Loop
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Entrances

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The entire route is in Kansas City, Jackson County.

mikmExitDestinationsNotes
2BBeardsleyBeardsley Road southbound; only accessible from I-70 east entrance
2KHarrison Street, Troost Avenueonly accessible from I-70 west entrance
2P13th Street – Downtownonly accessible from I-670 west entrance
2QLocust Street, Truman Roadonly accessible from I-670 west entrance
2RCentral Street – Downtownleft exit; only accessible from I-670 east entrance
2V14th Street – Downtownonly accessible from I-35 north entrance
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Interstate 670 Kansas / Missouri - Interstate-Guide.com". Interstate-Guide. January 22, 2019.
  2. ^ "Interstate 70 East - Kansas City - AARoads - Missouri". AARoads.
  3. ^ "SATELLITE PHOTOS: The Craziest Intersections In The World". Business Insider.
  4. ^ "The Line Creek Loudmouth: KC Freeway History".
  5. ^ "Draft I-70 First Tier Environmental Impact Statement (FTEIS)" (PDF). Missouri Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 27, 2011. Retrieved March 30, 2010.
  6. ^ Castro, Monica (April 22, 2022). "Kansas City Unveils Plans for $160M 'South Loop Link' Park over I-670". FOX 4 Kansas City. Kansas City, Missouri: WDAF-TV. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
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