With work completed, Kansas Expressway extension opens today

The result of around four decades of planning and nearly four years of construction is coming to fruition with the extension of Kansas Expressway in southwest Springfield.

The second and final phase of the Kansas Expressway extension south of Republic Road opens to motorists today, according to a news release issued by Greene County. Phase II, with a cost of roughly $12.5 million, extends the roadway from Plainview Road to Farm Road 190.

"In the early 1980s, both Greene County and the city of Springfield recommended a major thoroughfare plan south of Route M," officials said in the release. "After several feasibility studies and environmental assessments in the following years, the project was approved, and construction began in 2022."

Emery Sapp & Sons Inc. served as the general contractor for both phases. Phase I was completed in February 2024. 

Phase II includes a new four-way stop at the intersection of Cox Road and Farm Road 190, as well as a 10-foot-wide concrete pedestrian and bicycle path adjacent to the roadway.