KANSAS CITY, MO Kansas City, Missouri, is celebrating the bridging of communities, literally. The kick-off for a new construction project is bringing together multiple cities, counties and states to reopen a major connector from Kansas to Missouri, providing direct access to nearby Jackson County recreation fields.

The closed bridge that crosses the Blue River on Kenneth Road in south Kansas City is getting a major makeover with the help of Kansas City, the City of Grandview, the Loch Lloyd neighborhood, Jackson County and Overland Park, Kansas.

The one-lane portable, prefabricated Bailey bridge was placed as a temporary solution after the permanent bridge collapsed in 1996 when a dump truck damaged it beyond repair. However, the Bailey bridge was damaged by a concrete truck a few years ago and has been closed to the public since. The city of Grandview will give a new life to the bridge by placing it along the Presidential Trail; a pedestrian trail eventually connecting the Longview Trail to the historic Truman Farm Home in Grandview.

Kansas City, Jackson County, Overland Park and the Loch Lloyd neighborhood are contributing to the funding for a new 365-foot replacement bridge, which will include a sidewalk funded by a Kansas City Special Obligation bond. Survey and engineering firm Shafer, Kline & Warren (SKW) was selected to provide the survey and design work.

The bridge-removal ceremony will be held on the Missouri side of the bridge and will include remarks by 6th District Kansas City Councilman Kevin McManus, 4th District Jackson County Legislator Dan Tarwater and Grandview Public Works Director Dennis Randolph. Following remarks, project partners will pull off a section of the historic bridge and enjoy a barbecue lunch at the nearby Kenneth Polo Fields Park Shelter.