TOPEKA (KSNT) – Road work set to start on August 15 will shut down all traffic along a section of Interstate 70 in Topeka for three weeks.

According to the Kansas Department of Transportation, 8th Street to Topeka Boulevard will be closed to all traffic while pavement patching is completed on the viaduct to finish an ongoing project to improve the road surface until the new Polk-Quincy Viaduct bridge is opened.

The 8th Street exit will be the last open ramp for those traveling west. Westbound traffic on I-70 will follow signed detours and be routed south to Interstate 470, north to Kansas 4 Highway to U.S. 24 Highway to U.S. 75 Highway. Drivers can also use the local street detour by taking Madison Avenue to 6th Street to Topeka Boulevard. Eastbound I-70 traffic will remain open but will be reduced to one lane.

KDOT estimates that there will be increased congestion in the area. However, the detours will be able to handle the increase in motorists. Drivers should plan their routes accordingly and expect delays.

Once the pavement patching is finished, westbound I-70 will reopen to one lane. Both directions of I-70 will remain reduced to one lane from just east of MacVicar to Southwest 8th Street until construction of the viaduct’s replacement is complete.

For updates on the Polk-Quincy Viaduct project, click here.