A portion of the popular Gary L. Haller Trail in Olathe is closed for the foreseeable future to make way for a major roadway construction project.
A roughly one-mile section of the trail will be closed around the Northgate trailhead area this year and next as the city completes the $56 million 119th Street “missing link” project between Northgate Street and Woodland Road.
Mayor John Bacon announced the partial closure last month during an Olathe City Council meeting, calling the construction project “a big deal for our community.”
The paved trail runs for roughly 17.5 miles, beginning at Nelson Island on the Kansas River, passing through Shawnee and Lenexa before ending in Olathe near Northgate Street. It is included in the Johnson County Mill Creek Streamway Park.
How can I access Gary L. Haller Trail now?
- Throughout construction, the Gary L. Haller Trail will be closed from where it goes under Northgate Street to the Northwoods neighborhood trail by 118th Street.
- The Northgate trailhead is the only access point that is impacted by the construction.
- According to the Johnson County Park & Recreation District, bike riders and walkers can still access the trail from the Northwood Trails Access Park at 11344 S. Millview Rd., in Olathe and take the trail north.
- Southbound travel along the trail from that access point at the park is not available during the closure.
- Trail users can also still access the trail from multiple other trailheads in Shawnee or Lenexa, including from Shawnee Mission Park.
- Find more information about alternative access points here.
119th Street is a big gap in Olathe’s transportation system
Building out 119th Street where a gaps exists for about a mile between Northgate and Woodland has long been a city priority.
It’s considered a “missing link” in the city’s east-to-west transportation network as well as a connector between Interstate 35 and Kansas Highway 7.
The gap has persisted because of the BNSF railroad, Mill Creek and the Gary L. Haller Trail that all pass through the area.
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Filling in the gap will require a complete road reconfiguration with a roundabout, as well as a roughly 800-foot-long bridge that will cross the railroad tracks, trail and creek.
As part of the project, Olathe will also:
- update the intersection at Northgate and Nelson,
- improve the intersections along 119th Street at Lone Elm Road, Cherry Lane, Iowa and Cherry streets
- and provide upgrades that enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety in the corridor.
Crews recently began construction on the project, and the work is estimated to take two full years to complete, putting the anticipated finishing date in 2027.
More on the 119th Street project: Olathe finalizes details for long-anticipated 119th Street link project
