Interstate 435 Outer Loop

Interstate 435 is probably the most Kansas City of roads, connecting the airport, theme parks, stadiums, and surprisingly rural stretches. Today we're going counter-clockwise!

Control City Freak is updated weekly and covers every two digit Interstate Highway in America as well as other roads. I'll be showing control city signs on each 1 and 2 digit (2di) Interstate Highway in the continental United States and will strive to make as complete a record as possible, as well as various other highways. I'll also be getting into the roadgeek weeds here and there, showing downtown skylines and state border crossings, and making corny jokes. I welcome all to join my geeky tour of every primary Interstate in the country!

Upcoming videos:
9/19 285 ATL (Requests Closed)
9/26 I 5 reboot Northbound (Requests Closed)
10/3 US 90 Eastbound
10/10 All Request Episode

All images of roads and signs come from Google Street View unless otherwise specified.

Music: Acoustic Sunrise, from the Apple iMovie sounds library

"Plastic Pirates" by Molly McGuire

Control City Freak Episodes mentioned in this video:

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Interstates, Interstate Highways, Control Cities, Signs, Roadsigns, highway nerdery, Interstate 435, Kansas, Missouri, Kansas City, Overland Park, Chiefs, Royals, Bannister Mall, Claycomo Worlds of Fun, Arrowhead Stadium, Lawrence, Grandview Triangle, Chiefs, Bengals, Cincinnati

[Flk]

MoDOT: "We're changing the BGS on I-29!"
Todd: :-D

MoDOT: "They'll be signed for Council Bluffs!"
Todd: :-O

[RowenHansen]

in regards as to why they rerouted 24 off of independence avenue, there is a low bridge, like 12’6 famous local can opener. Anyway the dot rerouted it in 2022 for truckers so they would stop ramming their trucks into the bridge. I think the old route is now an unsigned business route.
Also the letter routes in missouri are state “Supplemental” roads kind of like a 3 tier below state numbered highways, kind of like the Farm to Market roads in Texas.

also love seeing MO in the videos recently!

[brockreynolds]

To give you all a little history of all this:
1: The 435 loop took FOREVER to complete, the first sections (I-35 to Metcalf, and US 50 to I-70) opened up in 1966. The final section (Far north, west of US 169) wasn't finished until 1987!
2: US 71 was originally a 2 lane highway, and wasn't divided until I believe... circa 1972, going through the center of Kansas City, 71 became Prospect (It is now Watkins drive, divested from Prospect) However, even back then... people driving north and south in that part of town rarely used 71/Prospect... they always used Paseo, as it was much quicker. (And during rush hour today, it STILL is much quicker)
3: 470, which connected the loop to Lee's Summit and the east suburbs, wasn't opened until 1981. So it came quite a bit later than the 435 section it's connected to.
4: Missouri 291, was originally the main road for travelers to bypass Kansas City before the loop existed, was not even called "291" until 1974. Before that, it's name was "71 Bypass". Motorists would exit onto 71 Bypass at Harrisonville, and take it all the way up to where it rejoins I-35 north of Liberty, avoiding driving through the heart of Kansas City. The 291 corridor in Lee's Summit was not developed at ALL at that time, so it was a clear and easy drive.

[RealTonyYT]

My request for US 90 eastbound video will be at the US 90 business interchange in Louisiana near New Orleans! The West Bank Expressway is unsigned interstate 910 and future i-49, I would like to see the interchange! Thanks!

[tylermarchand]

Already did a list for the clockwise direction, but just for the sake of completeness, I’ll do this as well before moving on. Beginning at Mile 0:

Lenexa—Overland Park—KCMO/Lee’s Summit (via 470)—KCMO North—MCI—KCKS—Lenexa

I think I’ve beaten this horse dead long ago, but I still like Joplin as the 49 South control. My biggest gripe with Springfield is that it isn’t a direct link. What I will concede is the junction with MO 7 in Harrisonville (or Harrisonville itself) be the secondary, with accompanying signs directing Springfield bound traffic to use this exit. I think it’s a happy medium similar to how I 8 east of Yuma (largely) has Tucson as the most direct primary control, but the secondary is Ajo (or AZ 85), seeing it does lead to a pretty big urban area that happens to be off of the current highway.

As for St. Joseph, again, I’m fine with it being the control for I 29 North. It’s over 100 miles away from Omaha so I’m fine with the distance (afterwards is where I say it should be Omaha no questions). I don’t like ignoring places that happen to be in the same CSA, mainly because CSA definitions can be very strange, and also because these places have different economies. I will concede that SOUTHBOUND leaving Omaha, 29 should duplex with Kansas City because of how close they are (and the size difference). I’ll get into a new system that I prefer once I get to the I 5 reboot.

[DerekWitt]

12:11 -That building in the distance used to be occupied by Kiewit Engineering. I think parts of the nuclear division was located there. I believe Kiewit moved much of their divisions into the former Perceptive Software building a block north of the southbound ramps away from that other one.

That building has been standing there unoccupied for the past 10 years. I'm not not aware of what's even located at the Renner Corporate Centre II building (yep, its actual name) right now.

[jbnati]

I was kind of hoping for US50 on this one! It goes right by Paycor Field and a little bit South of Arrowhead.

[banana]

Great video! Been to the KC area a few times and have stayed in the Overland Park area. I’m pretty surprised that’s not a control city even though it’s probably one of the bigger KC suburbs (although Kansas doesn’t sign any control cities on 435 for some reason). Btw, I agree with the Omaha signage for I29, although I think if MODOT were to ever stop signing St. Joseph, they would probably just sign Council Bluffs which I’m not sure would be much better lol.

[DerekWitt]

Speaking of KCI, I once worked at a building that was right in line with the east-west runway. The building was sandwiched between I-29 and NW Ambassador Drive (which parallels I-29 just to the east right there). At least once a day, when a plane came in for a landing, it would shake the building!

11:41 - There used to be a half sign gantry right at Exit 9 southbound. It did say K-32, Kansas City / Edwardwille. I think someone ran into the sign post several years ago. I wish KDOT rebuild that sign bridge. The KCK city limits is actually just east of the northbound exit/entrance ramps.

[adambuesser]

Hoping to see I 287 around the NY metro soon.

[andysorensen]

Royals should absolutely move downtown, but yeah, I feel like the Chiefs at Legends is a pretty natural fit. Nice area, already have a head start on the infrastructure between all the parking, hotels, etc. with the speedway and Children’s Mercy Park right there.

[RandomYTEnjoyer]

Coming back here a month later, KCM and KCK have moved US highways off their original alignments for odd reasons.
US 24 used to be on Independence Avenue, and then they took it off.
US 40 has always been questionable due to it's proximity to I-70. Both these highways USED to continue into Kansas as State Avenue, but they were killed off along with US 73 in 2008.
Kansas law doesn't allow US highways in city limits for some odd reason, which is why they got moved to I-70 and forced onto K-7.
US 50 and Blue Parkway is a more complicated and stranger story.
It appears that the metro doesn't really like having them around anymore, or they don't have the nerve of having older highways closer to the newer ones.

[tomstoeckle]

Used to work at 22nd and Central in KCK. Great memories. Thanks.

[marquan]

I lived in Platte City from 2018 to 2020. Loved driving the 435.

[oubrioko]

4:03 *I-49/US-71* are _not_ routed through Springfield, Missouri.

Springfield, MO is more than *50 miles* east of Interstate 49 and US Highway 71

[Sir_Kaz]

Oddly enough I-635 is signed for just Kansas for the interchange at I-29 so perhaps they might eventually do the same for I-435. One can only dream.

[kevinrussell]

I-435 east and North to I-70 could just be signed St Louis or St Louis/Des Moines. St Louis is the biggest control city and what much of this traffic would be heading to. Pretty straight forward and simple too

[brucetelfeyan]

When driving from Tennessee to Omaha, I always take exit 49A (MO Hwy 152) to go to the N KC Costco to get gasoline.

[CrystalClearWithBE]

I-435 is one of the two rectangular interstate beltways in the US. If you're wondering what the other one is, it's I-465 around Indianapolis. For the outer loop, I'd rather sign the airport starting from I-70 and put it at the bottom of Des Moines until I-35 and St. Joseph for I-29. Speaking of that airport, its new Terminal A was complete while the old Terminals B and C are still under demolition for a new terminal and I hate the way K.C. Int'l Airport's roads are designed with circles around the old terminals and they need to be revised.

[elizabethorsillo]

You’re in my sister’s neck of the woods. She lives in Overland Park, near U.S. 69. And I remember seeing many of these places when I went to visit her.