Central Avenue Bridge (Kansas City, Kansas)
Central Avenue Bridge | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°06′09″N 94°36′55″W / 39.1026°N 94.6152°W |
| Carries | 6 lanes of Central Avenue, 2 on lower level, 4 on upper |
| Crosses | Kansas River |
| Locale | Kansas City, Kansas |
| Maintained by | WyCo Unified Government |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Deck Truss |
| History | |
| Opened | 1918 |
| Closed | 2021 |
| Location | |
Interactive map of Central Avenue Bridge | |
The Central Avenue Bridge is two level deck truss bridge over the Kansas River in Kansas City, Kansas. It was built in 1918, and rebuilt in 1984. It is just south of the Kansas City Southern Bridge, and north of the I-670 Viaduct over the Kansas River.
Closure
In February 2021, the bridge closed to all traffic. After structural analysis was conducted, the bridge was evaluated to have extensive deterioration of its bottom truss members.[1]
In January 2026, the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) and the Unified Government announced a plan for joint funding to replace the Central Avenue Bridge along with some KDOT-owned bridges on Central Avenue over I-70 and the Union Pacific Railroad.[2] The following month, a proposal was approved by the Appropriations Committee of the Kansas House of Representatives to delay infrastructure plans in the urbanized area of northeast Kansas and redistribute funds to the other parts of the state. Local officials in Kansas City, Kansas, speculated that the proposal is aimed at the Central Avenue Bridge replacement and is linked to negotiations related to tax incentives for the relocation of the Kansas City Chiefs football team from Kansas City, Missouri to Kansas.[3]
References
- ^ "Central Avenue Bridge Closure". www.wycokck.org. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
- ^ Kelly, Matthew (January 24, 2026). "Bridge connecting KCK & KC has been closed for 5 years. There's finally a plan". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Zeman, Sofi; Kelly, Matthew (February 15, 2026). "KCK thought Chiefs deal meant critical funding for bridge repairs. That may not happen". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)