Downtown freeway loop (Kansas City)
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The downtown freeway loop (also called the "Alphabet" loop[1]) is the unofficial name for a complex layout of freeways in downtown Kansas City, Missouri involving 23 exits, four Interstate Highways, four U.S. Highways and numerous city streets. Each exit in the freeway loop is numbered 2 and suffixed with every letter of the alphabet except I, O and Z (which would look like 1, 0 and 2 on the exit signs). The entire circumference of the loop is just over four miles.
Alphabetically, the letter suffixes begin with A in the northwest corner of the loop and proceed forward in a clockwise direction around the loop. Eastbound on the north side of the loop (EB I-70/NB I-35), one encounters A through G; then H through M southbound on the east side (EB I-70/SB US 71); then N through U westbound on the south side (WB I-670); and finally V through Y northbound on the west side (NB I-35 alone).
Interstate 70 enters the southeast corner of the loop and moves north forming the east and north sides of the loop and exiting in the northwest corner. Exits on I-70 range from 2A to 2M.
Interstate 35 enters the loop at its northeast corner, joining I-70 on the north side and forming the west side of the loop before exiting in the southwest corner. Exits on I-35 range from 2F to 2A while it is multiplexed with I-70, and 2Y to 2U after I-70 exits the loop.
Interstate 29 does not enter the loop. It begins at the northeast corner and continues north, multiplexed with I-35. These two leave the loop via the Paseo Bridge and split several miles north.
Interstate 670 forms the south side of the loop. I-670 splits from I-70 in Kansas City, Kansas, crosses over I-70 and enters the loop in the southwest corner, rejoining I-70 and ending in Kansas City, Missouri in the southeast corner of the loop. I-670 is also signed as Alternate I-70.
U.S. Highway 71 is a freeway that enters the loop in the southeast corner and leaves the loop with I-29 and I-35 in the northeast corner.
U.S. Highway 24 is a major city street which enters the loop in the northeast corner and follows I-35 and I-70 along the north side of the loop. US Hwy 24 is also known as Independence Ave/Blvd and provides a street-level connection to Independence, Missouri.
U.S. Highway 40 is multiplexed with I-70 throughout the loop.
U.S. Highway 169 enters the loop in the northwest corner from the Broadway Bridge across the Missouri River, and joins I-70.
Route 9 also provides access to the loop, ending at I-70 after crossing the Heart of America Bridge from North Kansas City.
