Council Approves $72.8M for Buck O’Neil Bridge

The city council in Kansas City has approved $72.8 million to pay for the replacement of the Buck O’Neil Bridge, which connects Downtown to north of the Missouri River.

It is being paid for by a mix of bond issues and a sales tax increase that was approved by voters in 2018.

Other funding services for the bridge, which was built in 1956, include $40 million from the Mid-America Regional Council and $25 million from MDOT via a USDOT grant.

The new structure is planned to connect with Interstate 35 instead of hitting stoplights Downtown.

Said a report by the city’s public works department: “The new bridge will not require substantial maintenance for 30 or so years much like the Heart of America Bridge which has been open for nearly 30 years. The new bridge will not require nearly the amount of painting the existing bridge requires and the negative impact of repainting to air quality.”