Water main break along eastbound Shawnee Mission Parkway causes delays

MERRIAM, Kan. (KCTV) - If you were trying to get off I-35 and get somewhere east of there via Shawnee Mission Parkway, you likely ran into some delays this afternoon.

According to a tweet from the city of Merriam, a water main break happened Wednesday morning near Robinson Street. As such, delays are expected “through the next few days” as WaterOne works to repair the issue.

If you drive this road every day, note that this is apparently separate from construction that has already been happening there this week. However, the water main break did happen in about the same area.

Getting off the interstate, eastbound Shawnee Mission Parkway appeared to be entirely closed to traffic at Antioch Road as of 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. Various cones direct drivers to either go north or south, toward Johnson Drive or toward W. 71st Street respectively.

The water main break happened in the area of Shawnee Mission Parkway and Robinson Street. Robinson Street intersects with “SMP” from the north. For landmarks: it is between Shawnee Mission Kia to the west and Steak ‘n Shake to the east. It’s north of Prestia’s Parkway Liquor and Scooter’s Coffee, also.

We’ve included a map indicating the location of the water main break to help you find a detour. Note, however, that there are also various minor construction projects happening along Johnson Drive and a significant stretch of it has a 25 mph speed limit.

So, at this point, just count on being delayed to varying degrees and plan ahead.