IN THE COUNTY LEGISLATURE OF JACKSON COUNTY, MISSOURI
Title
A RESOLUTION supporting a new U.S. 169 "Buck" O'Neil Bridge over the Missouri River.
Intro
RESOLUTION NO. 19495, May 22, 2017
INTRODUCED BY Scott Burnett, County Legislator
Body
WHEREAS, the U.S. 169 "Buck" O'Neil Bridge, linking downtown Kansas City in Jackson County to Clay County, was constructed in the mid-1950's; and,
WHEREAS, the bridge's existing capacity and alignment no longer meet the long-term needs of the region; and,
WHEREAS, in 2016, the Kansas City region, through the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC), the City of Kansas City, Missouri, and the Missouri Department of Transportation entered into a partnership to create a long-term plan for the Buck O'Neil Bridge and surrounding urban highways; and,
WHEREAS, at the Missouri Department of Transportation's recommendation, a Federal Highway Administration Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) process was funded using $3 million in regional Surface Transportation Program funds and a local match from the City of Kansas City, which has appropriated nearly $1 million toward this effort; and,
WHEREAS, the PEL process, managed through MARC, is well underway, and is expected to conclude in 2018; and,
WHEREAS, this study has already been the subject of public meetings and it is expected that one of the results of the study will be a comprehensive, long-term look at how a U.S. 169 river crossing can best serve the region for the next 75 years; and,
WHEREAS, the bridge's age and condition make any major maintenance both costly and unsustainable; and,
WHEREAS, the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission has released a draft Statewide Transportation Improvement Program which has proposed approximately $49 million in state fiscal year 2019 to perform a 35-year rehabilitation of the bridge; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed rehabilitation will require an estimated two-year closure of the bridge; and,
WHEREAS, a sustained clo...
Click here for full text