Assistant City Engineer Theresa Vink showed the Olathe City Council a preliminary design for the rebuilt Santa Fe/I-35 interchange on Sept. 1.

The presentation is part of the $285 million I-35/Santa Fe Corridor Improvements project, which city officials have called the largest infrastructure endeavor in Olathe's history, the Johnson County Post reported in July. The project consists of two overlapping efforts called "I-35/Santa Fe Forward": a Kansas Department of Transportation portion widening and reconstructing parts of I-35 between Santa Fe and 119th Street, and a city-managed rebuild of the Santa Fe interchange.

The new interchange will be a single-point urban interchange, or SPUI. Lenexa has one at I-35 and 87th Street. The design allows left-turning traffic to move simultaneously through one central signal, giving more room for large vehicles.

Vink told the council the interchange is "a focal point for Olathe and a transition into the downtown area," distinguishing it from the city's other I-35 interchanges at 119th and 159th streets, according to the Olathe Reporter. She said the project's aesthetics are focused on the experience of drivers and pedestrians moving along Santa Fe.

At a June 16 council meeting, Councilmember Jeff Creighton said constituents had raised concerns about the corridor's appearance following demolition, including complaints about semitrailers and box trucks parked on cleared sites. Vink said the city would plant temporary seed and continue to enforce no overnight parking during utility work, according to council records.

Where the project stands

Crews are in the utility relocation phase, moving overhead and underground lines after demolition and property clearing earlier in 2026. Only occasional lane and sidewalk closures are expected through 2027.

The KDOT portion is expected to begin construction toward the end of 2026 and run through 2028, with phased closures including the southbound Old 56 off-ramp, the Old Highway 56 bridge and ramps at 119th Street.

The biggest disruptions come in 2029. Santa Fe Street will close completely, and some interstate ramps will also shut down during the final phase, which includes reconstructing Santa Fe and extending Rogers Road north under it. The city's project page lists additional corridor improvements along Santa Fe from Ridgeview Road through Mur-Len Road. The city plans to finish work on surrounding streets before closing the interchange to reduce the impact on area businesses.

"We know our residents want and need a faster, safer route through the heart of our city," Mayor John Bacon said in July when the project's utility phase was underway.

The interchange presentation came during the same Sept. 1 session in which the council voted to accept $18.7 million in KDOT funding for a separate K-10/Lone Elm bypass road. Residents can track construction updates and planned closures on the city's I-35/Santa Fe project page.