Editing Grandview Triangle (section)

{{Short description|Large highway interchange in Missouri}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox road junction
|country=USA
|name=3-Trails Crossing Memorial Highway
|image=Grandview Triangle 2008 No 1.jpg
|image_caption=The 3-Trails Crossing Memorial Highway as seen from the east, on the Hillcrest Road bridge over [[Interstate 470 (Missouri)|I-470]], before [[U.S. Route 71 in Missouri|US&nbsp;71]] south was upgraded to [[Interstate 49 in Missouri|I-49]].
|maint=[[Missouri Department of Transportation]]
|location=[[Kansas City, Missouri]]
|coord=
|roads={{jct|state=MO|I|49}}<br />
{{jct|state=MO|I|435}}<br />
{{jct|state=MO|I|470}}<br />
{{jct|state=MO|US|50}}<br />
{{jct|state=MO|US|71}}
|type=
|const=
|opened=
|height=
|other_names=Grandview Triangle
}}
The '''3-Trails Crossing Memorial Highway''' is the official name for an [[Interchange (road)|interchange]] in south [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]], [[Missouri]] that was once considered one of Missouri's most congested locations.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://missouri.sierraclub.org/SierranOnline/archive/GrandviewTriang.htm |title=Grandview Triangle Highway Project |access-date=July 6, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081127205551/http://missouri.sierraclub.org/SierranOnline/archive/GrandviewTriang.htm |archive-date=November 27, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.fox4kc.com/wdaf-firey-wreck-71-highway-story-62509,0,7349284.story |title=Fiery Wreck Shuts Down Portion of 71 Highway - WDAF |access-date=October 26, 2011 |archive-date=January 16, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100116212708/http://www.fox4kc.com/wdaf-firey-wreck-71-highway-story-62509,0,7349284.story |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[http://www.kansascity.com/news/neighborhood/olathe/story/1299511.html The Kansas City Star] {{dead link|date=June 2023}}</ref> Although it is known as the '''Grandview Triangle''', it is not located in [[Grandview, Missouri|Grandview]], a suburb of Kansas City. It is actually north of Grandview, still within the [[city limits]] of Kansas City. After several years of reconstruction, the interchange itself is largely congestion free during non-peak hours despite the high traffic on the highways approaching the interchange.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}} During rush-hour moderate to major delays and numerous accidents are reported.{{Citation needed|date=March 2015}}

The name "Three Trails Crossing" refers to the [[Santa Fe Trail|Santa Fe]], [[Oregon Trail|Oregon]], and [[California Trail|California]] Trails that cross there.<ref name="3trails">{{cite web|url=http://www.modot.mo.gov/kansascity/newrelease/District4News.shtml?action=displaySSI&newsId=5924|title=Local News Releases|publisher=}}</ref> It is a major interchange of five major highways in the Kansas City area: [[Interstate 49 in Missouri|I-49]], [[Interstate 435|I-435]], [[Interstate 470 (Missouri)|I-470]], [[U.S. Route 50 in Missouri|US&nbsp;50]],  [[U.S. Route 71 in Missouri|US&nbsp;71]], and Missouri State Highway W.

I-49/US&nbsp;71 brings in traffic from the southeastern suburbs of the Kansas City area in [[Jackson County, Missouri|Jackson]] and [[Cass County, Missouri|Cass]] counties. I-49 currently ends at the triangle, but the road continues northwest into Kansas City as US&nbsp;71. The I-49 designation went into effect in December 2012.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.kansascity.com/2012/09/02/3793979/us-71-south-to-become-i-49.html |title= US 71 from Kansas City to Joplin to become Interstate 49 |newspaper=[[Kansas City Star]] |date=September 2, 2012}}</ref>

I-435 is a [[ring road|beltway]] around the [[Kansas City metropolitan area]].

I-470 is a major traffic corridor that connects southern Kansas City to the suburbs of eastern Jackson County, mainly [[Lee's Summit, Missouri|Lee's Summit]].

US&nbsp;50 travels [[Concurrency (road)|concurrently]] with I-435 entering the Triangle, and then travels concurrently with I-470 at Exit 71A.

State Highway W, also known as Bannister Road, which forms the northern leg of the triangle, is a major east-west arterial thoroughfare through southern Kansas City, and also serves as a detour for traffic seeking an alternate route when I-435 is congested.

The 3-Trails Crossing currently handles approximately 250,000 vehicles per day.<ref name="GvMO">{{cite web|title=Outstanding Interstate Highways Access|url=http://www.grandview.org/work/city-government/economic-development/locational-advantages/outstanding-interstate-highways-access|website=Grandview, MO|accessdate=November 11, 2016}}</ref> Now that the reconstruction is completed, the interchange should be able to accommodate more than 400,000 vehicles per day.<ref name="GvMO"/>