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Kansas City is Looking to Preserve Steel from $257M Buck O’Neil Bridge Project for Future Use

Kansas City is hoping to find a firm to relocate and store materials from the Buck O'Neil Bridge following its demolition. Photo via: Missouri Department of Transportation

Posted on January 2, 2024

Kansas City is looking for a firm to lead the management, logistics and distribution of materials for the Buck O’Neil Bridge, using its steel for future development projects throughout the city.

The Buck O’Neil Bridge, which is planned to be demolished in 2024 as part of a $257 million replacement project, is also undergoing a reuse program with its request for proposal scheduled to end Jan. 3.

The reuse program would see a potential firm extract and store steel from the historic bridge for other Kansas City projects. The firm would then work with the Missouri Department of Transportation—the department overseeing the project—to review proposals from those wanting to use the materials.

Previous recommendations from Kansas City leaders expressed interest in converting the bridge into a linear park, however, estimates found it would cost around $100 million and would need approval from several agencies.

Currently, the replacement project for the bridge is close to 65 percent complete, according to MoDot. The department plans to fully close the bridge sometime in January.

The Buck O’Neil Bridge replacement project began construction in 2021 and is scheduled to be completed in Dec. 2024.