A nearly $63 million federal grant will pay about half the cost of reconstructing 18th Street Bridge in Kansas City, Kansas, one of the city’s major infrastructure pieces rated in poor condition and in need of repair.
State officials say the bridge, which carries about 33,735 vehicles per day, has outlived its usefulness over its 60-year lifespan. Built in 1959, major repairs made to keep traffic flowing safely were last finished in 2018 after a study revealed structural deficiencies.
The rebuild project is estimated to cost $138 million, according to the federal Department of Transportation. Along with the $63 million grant, the federal government will put in another $37 million, covering about 73% of the tab.
Gov. Laura Kelly announced the award in a joint statement Wednesday, calling the bridge “a critical connection for decades” and saying the project “will support continued success and growth in the area.”
Kansas City, Kansas, Mayor Tyrone Garner said: “We are extremely grateful for the grant award.”
“We pledge to work diligently with our federal and state partners to make this bridge project successful, and we are committed to strengthening our partnerships to address other critical bridge needs within our community,” the mayor said in the statement. “Bridge infrastructure represents the lifeblood of transportation arterial connections that make a city and community work, thrive, and grow.”
An analysis by the Kansas Department of Transportation in 2017 found corrosion and cracking that needed immediate attention. The thoroughfare, which extends over the BNSF Argentine railyard and the Kansas River, closed for eight months as workers replaced and repaired supports and braces.
Those repairs extended its service life for another 10 years, according to the state agency. In 2019, the transportation department finished a study identifying long-term goals and a plan for a full replacement.
Reconstruction of the bridge is expected to begin in 2025. It will be closed to traffic for about two years until the project is finished, according to the state transportation department.
Kansas City, Kansas, has 17 major bridges. The 18th Street Bridge is only one of the major connectors over the riverfront that has worn with age and use.
In February 2021, the city closed Central Avenue Bridge, a major port of entry for businesses in Strawberry Hill , followed by Kansas Avenue Bridge in July 2022 . Both remain shuttered.
During a capital budget briefing in May, Unified Government staff members outlined those bridge repairs among the top infrastructure concerns. However, the path to reopening either is still unclear.
Officials have sought additional federal and state money to help pay for those repairs. A grant applied for in partnership with Kansas City, Missouri, for the Kansas Avenue Bridge was unsuccessful. Another was submitted for Central Avenue earlier this year.
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