After nearly three and a half years of repairs, construction and traffic disruptions, the K 5 bridge over the Union Pacific railroad tracks has reopened to traffic.
This is especially welcome news for the Fairfax Industrial District. Earlier this year, unexpected structural issues discovered during construction pushed KDOT’s anticipated reopening to October 2026. Crews were ultimately able to complete the necessary work and reopen the bridge well ahead of that revised schedule.
The reopening restores an important route into and out of Fairfax and should provide some much needed relief for employee commutes, truck traffic and businesses throughout the district.
FIA appreciates KDOT, Clarkson Construction and everyone involved in getting this important connection safely reopened.
Drive safely and enjoy losing one detour from your commute!
UPDATE (as of 8/19/26) Minor work still to be done but neither inbound or outbound traffic will be fully closed.
Clarkson Construction still has some work to complete, including structural steel repairs beneath the bridge, repairs to the bridge lights, painting and general cleanup. Most of this work can be completed without affecting traffic.
Repairs to the bridge lights will require one lane to close in each direction. However, the inside lanes will remain open, so neither inbound nor outbound traffic will be fully closed.
KDOT appreciates everyone’s patience throughout this challenging project, which experienced delays related to the Union Pacific Railroad and additional work that was not included in the original plans. We will share any further traffic updates as they become available.