The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) recently announced an approximately $135 million project that will replace bridges over I-70, Union Pacific Railroad and the Kansas River in Wyandotte County.
KDOT and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, which consolidate the governments of Kansas City and Wyandotte County, own the bridges that need to be replaced. The KDOT-owned bridges over I-70 and Union Pacific Railroad are approaching the end of their service lives. The Unified Government-owned bridge that crosses the Kansas River was closed in 2021 because of safety and structural concerns.
“Including the replacement of the bridge over the Kansas River will allow KDOT to replace the bridges over I-70 and Union Pacific Railroad in a more cost-effective way, resulting in the project cost being the same as originally estimated,” KDOT Secretary Calvin Reed said. “We’re replacing more outdated bridges and being responsive to the community’s needs.”
KDOT engineers identified a solution that, for the same cost, would provide the public’s desired access to the industrial area on the west side of the Kansas River and connections to the West Bottoms on the east side of the river while replacing the Unified Government’s bridge.
Construction is expected to begin as early as 2028.