Commuters in northwestern Olathe might need to find a new route after the city closed the intersection of 119th Street and Northgate Street this week.
The closure began Monday as part of the city’s 119th Street Extension Project, which will connect the roughly one-mile gap between Northgate and Woodland Road.
The “missing link” exists because of the BNSF railroad crossing, Mill Creek and the Gary L. Haller Trail. Detours are posted at the intersection, and officials expect Northgate to reopen to traffic by October.
Currently, drivers traveling west on 119th have to turn off at Northgate and use an alternate route before reconnecting at Woodland.
To complete the connection, the city is adding a roundabout at the Northgate intersection and an 800-foot bridge that crosses the railroad tracks, creek and trail.
Additional pieces of the project include adding a roundabout at 119th and Northgate and reconstructing part of Nelson Road, southwest of the intersection.
Improving northwest Olathe
The $55.7 million project is expected to make east-west travel in Olathe easier as well as add a connection between Interstate 35 and Kansas Highway7.
City staff have also said extending 119th street could boost traffic to the northwest area of Olathe, potentially leading to more commercial properties.
This goal was at the center of a debate over a proposed townhome development at 119th and Lone Elm Road.
In January, the Olathe City Council voted 5-2 to send a proposal for a 71-unit townhome project back to city staff. Some councilmembers believed that the area would be a better location for retail, instead of housing, once the extension is completed.
Construction on the entire extension project is set to wrap up by the end of the year or early 2027.
