The freeway was not part of the original planned freeways around Kansas City in 1955.[5][6] The section east of the I-35 interchange was built first and finished in 1968.[7][8] The western portion was not planned until 1971 and was not finished until several years later.[9][10] By 1987, the freeway was extended slightly westward in the Downtown Kansas City area[11][12] but was not fully extended to I-70 until 1991, when it was fully opened.[13][14]
On May 20, 1997, sections of I-670 and I-35 in Downtown Kansas City were closed for the filming of a music video for the U2 song "Last Night on Earth". The closure, which was criticized by a local American Automobile Association official, caused some traffic congestion and was the subject of 50–60 complaints to the city government.[15][16]
^Kansas State Highway Map (Map) (1991–92 ed.). Kansas Department of Transportation. 1991. Retrieved February 27, 2011.
^Heider, Timothy (May 20, 1997). "U2: Last night they rocked...but today you don't roll; Downtown commuters face delays while band makes a video on I-670". The Kansas City Star. p. A1.
^White, Tanika; Lester, Chris (May 21, 1997). "Making of video makes a big mess". The Kansas City Star. p. A1.