Olathe’s new 119th Street roundabout opens Wednesday — but drivers will have to wait on bridge nearby

The roundabout is part of the city's "missing link" 119th Street Extension project. Its 800-foot-long bridge is set to open next month.

A major piece of the 119th Street Extension Project is wrapping up this week, but drivers will have to wait another month before it’s all completed.

A new roundabout at 119th and Northgate streets will be open to traffic on Wednesday, Oct. 28.

The intersection has been closed since March, as construction crews worked on the city’s $55.7 million “missing link” project.

The project aims to close a roughly 1-mile gap in 119th between Northgate and Woodland Road, where the street is interrupted by the BNSF railroad crossing, Mill Creek and the Gary L. Haller Trail.

To connect the two streets, the city is building an 800-foot, four-lane bridge.

But the bridge won’t open with the roundabout.

The city said it’s waiting for the delivery of some railing materials. The anticipated opening date is by the end of November.

In addition to the new bridge and roundabout, the project includes:

  • Adding turn lanes and traffic signals at the intersections of 119th Street with Lone Elm Road, Iowa Street and Woodland Road
  • Creating a connection between 119th Street and the Gary L. Haller Trail system
  • Adding sidewalks and accommodations for cyclists and pedestrians
  • Building raised medians
  • Constructing a four-lane divided roadway between Northgate and Woodland
The 119th Street Bridge will open next month. Photo credit Mike Frizzell.

Once complete, the extension will create a continuous route along 119th Street between K-7 and I-35.

The extension is intended to make east-west travel through Olathe easier and expand commercial development in the northwest part of the city.

The city also plans to install art in the center of the new roundabout in the spring.

The project was adopted as part of the city’s 2025-2029 Capital Improvement Plan.

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About the author

Kate Mays
Kate Mays

Hi! I’m Kate Mays, and I cover Olathe for the Johnson County Post.

I grew up in Lenexa and graduated from Shawnee Mission Northwest. I earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Kansas where I produced podcasts for 90.7 KJHK. I went on to get a master’s in journalism from New York University. Before joining the Post, I interned for the Kansas City Business Journal and KCUR and produced an investigative, true-crime podcast.

Have a story idea or a comment about our coverage you’d like to share? Email me at [email protected].

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