Paseo Bridge to Reopen Afternoon of Thursday, Sept. 1

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Rehabilitation of the Paseo Bridge in downtown Kansas City is nearly complete, and the facility is scheduled to reopen the afternoon of Thursday, Sept. 1 – a little more than 15 weeks after it closed, and more than two months ahead of schedule. Crews will begin removing barrier at 2 p.m., and the bridge should be restored to traffic in both directions by the evening rush hour.

“Our contractor, Clarkson Construction Company, started immediately when the bridge closed on May 17 and has worked diligently to earn the incentives for finishing the project early,” District Engineer Beth Wright said. “Good weather has allowed them to stay well ahead of schedule, and we’re very pleased to reopen the bridge before the Labor Day weekend.”

The contract for the project included up to $1.5 million in incentives for early completion, and required that the bridge reopen by November 10. In addition to a fresh coat of blue paint, the refurbished bridge features new barrier rails, light poles, and bearings. Its cables were wrapped for weatherproofing, and a new driving surface will greet motorists when it reopens.

Wright noted that MoDOT also removed some long-range maintenance measures from the project, which reduced its overall cost while maintaining all of its structural and safety-related aspects. Those adjustments were made when it became evident that funding for additional capacity along the I-29/I-35 corridor would be available within the next five years.

“By not painting some non-visible areas on the bridge and by using a less expensive weather-proofing method on the driving surface, we lowered our project cost by about $2 million,” Wright said. “The bridge should remain in good shape while we complete our environmental study of the corridor, determine how to best add additional lanes across the river, and then construct the recommended facility.”

For more information, visit the project’s website at www.kcrivercrossings.org