Rock Island Bridge opening delayed, again. When will you be able to hang out above the Kaw?

Ready to drink and dine atop a rusty locomotive bridge turned entertainment hotspot? It’ll be a little longer.

The Rock Island Bridge, spanning the Kansas River to reconnect the West Bottoms with Kansas City, Kansas, will welcome guests later than expected after construction delays. The target open is September, though the launch could be pushed further out to early fall.

“It’s taking more time to work around the infrastructure, and then working with both Missouri and Kansas on such a big project,” said Sami Cintron, director of marketing for the Rock Island Bridge.

Development of the bridge — part park, part entertainment venue, part event space — is the result of collaboration between local government leaders and private investors. The bridge is owned by the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas , and will be privately managed.

Once finished, the Rock Island Bridge will host two stories of seating, restrooms, bars and businesses over the river.

The latest delay comes as developer Michael Zeller of Flying Truss, LLC, had hoped to begin a soft rollout welcoming the public in late June or early July . Construction began in 2023 , with the initial aim of having the bridge open in March.

Cintron told The Star that the open date has always been a moving target. As of Tuesday, construction was still underway on the bars and restaurant seating areas .

Built in 1905, the 702-foot Rock Island Bridge once carried livestock over the river as part of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway. It was decommissioned in the early 1970s.

As the plans expanded, estimated costs to revamp the bridge rose from an initial projection of $5 million to roughly $15 million this year. Roughly $1.5 million has come through state grants, and another $2.5 million came from a Unified Government grant to be repaid by property and sales taxes.

Much of the restoration has been cosmetic, though developers ran into some unforeseen costs.

In May, a revised development plan with the Unified Government passed that allows Flying Truss to regain nearly $500,000 invested to strengthen the bridge.

And on Friday, commissioners approved the creation of a special taxing district that will add a 2% sales tax there for up to 22 years.

Todd LaSala, an attorney representing the Unified Government, told commissioners early Friday morning that the public investment made by the local government is expected to be repaid sooner.

The Star’s Natalie Wallington contributed to this report.