RECONNECTING NEIGHBORHOODS AND ECONOMIES WITH UNION-BUILT INFRASTRUCTURE–COURTESY OF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
The first steps towards four new major projects in the greater Kansas City metro-area that will keep union members working were announced in late July and the beginning of August. Many of these projects will put added pressure on non-union contractors already struggling to man jobs and give more power to union members in negotiations as Kansas City’s construction economy continues to boom. Union members will be in a strong position to get work reconnecting disinvested communities and repairing crumbling American infrastructure. The four announced bridge or reconnection projects include:
The Kansas Departent of Transportation announced that they have been awarded a $62.6 million Bridge Investment Program grant by the U.S. Department of Transportation for the 18th Street Bridge Replacement Project in Kansas City, Kansas.
The City of Kansas City, MO announced a wide-ranging, first-of-its-kind infrastructure plan fueled by a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to reconnect the Westside neighborhood to downtown, the Crossroads, and, in some areas, to other parts of the Westside to repair the damage that Interstate 35 did to the neighborhood.
The City of Kansas City, MO announced on August 9th a similar Reconnecting Communities infrastructure plan, the US 71 Hwy Reconnecting Neighborhoods – MLK Jr. Boulevard to E. 85th Street Project, to tackle the damage that Highway 71 did to the fabric of many downtown neighborhoods, funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The City of Kansas City, MO has approved a financing structure to pay for a $12.2 million pedestrian and bicycle bridge adjacent to the Grand Boulevard Viaduct that connects Kansas City’s fast-growing Berkley Riverfront to the Rivermarket.
RECONNECTING THE WESTSIDE
Last year, the City received a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program, the first-of-its-kind initiative to reconnect communities cut off from opportunity and burdened by past transportation infrastructure decisions. That grant is being used for the Reconnecting the Westside planning study, which is being conducted by engineering consultant firm, WSP. The firm will conduct a a planning study that outlines the Westside communities’ vision and priorities to improve safety, mobility, and connectivity, and to address the inequities and barriers to opportunities due to the construction of I-35 highway.
The Westside project could go as far as completely relocating I-35 further west, as some advocates are hoping for. Only roughly 25% of northbound traffic on I-35 is actually headed to downtown Kansas City, meaning that by moving I-35 further west many commuters may save time and downtown Kansas City could reclaim high-value land.
As a 70-year old project, I-35 actually predates the modern highway system. I-35 was built when Harry Truman was President – before the Federal-Aid Highway Act existed. The end of life for the project is fast approaching, so this planning is coming at a perfect time.
Removing and relocating the highway would result in many more union jobs and make it faster to get the south of the Kansas City metro to the north, all without having to sit in “downtown” highway traffic.
Many Westside Neighborhood Association leaders are also excited about what this project can mean for the community.
“As someone who grew up two blocks from I-35, it’s exciting to hear what the project could bring to the Westside. For example, the study could assess community health data of longterm residents. Several people in my family, including myself, have asthma. My family moved to the Westside in the 1940s before I-35 was constructed. I’ve always wondered about the long term health impacts of living near the highway. I look forward to the study results and working together toward evidence-based solutions,” said Elizabeth Mounteer, Secretary of the WNA.
“This project has the potential to be truly transformative for the Westside. I live two blocks from I-35. The constant drone of traffic is relentless. My neighbors on Jefferson Street have mentioned that their home literally shakes when massive trucks speed by. Our quality of life would be incredibly enhanced by addressing this,” said Virginia Bellis-Salazar, President of the WNA. “I am impressed with the team working on this project. They have big ideas that have already been applied in other cities. I look forward to working with them.
“I hope that we can dream big with this project. I want to not only see the city implement serious changes that reconnect the Westside to the rest of the city, but I want them to do so in a way that puts union members to work. Westsiders, many of whom are union members, should lead this conversation and undo the harm that people who thought they knew best did decades ago,” said Rebeca Amezcua-Hogan, Vice-President of the WNA.
Editors Note: The Labor Beacon’s Editor Tristin Amezcua-Hogan is married to Rebeca Amezcua-Hogan. Elizabeth Mounteer is the sister of IUPAT DC 3’s Andrew “A.J.” Herrera. Local 533’s Chuck Roseburrough has family in the Westside neighborhood who have spent years as respected leaders. Many residents of the Westside are active or retired union members, including many members of BAC Local 15, Teamsters, and Machnists. Latino union members largely make up the working-class neighborhood.
US 71 HIGHWAY RECONNECTING NEIGHBORHOODS
Highway 71 is not a good highway. No one who uses it has an enjoyable experience, it is unsafe, and it was intentionally used by its original planners to divide black neighborhoods from white neighborhoods. Not great!
On June 27, Kansas City, MO City Council passed Ordinance No. 240518 which accepted $5 million in RAISE Grants that were awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation in order for the city to enter into a Design Professional Services Agreement with HG Consult, Inc to perform Planning and Environmental Linkages study, NEPA analysis, and conceptual design to improve roadway safety and efficiency for pedestrians, cyclists, and auto users of US 71 in Kansas City.
According to the city, “The project, U.S. 71 Reconnecting Neighborhoods, will develop a clear plan to equitably improve safety, mobility, and access to opportunities in an underserved area of Kansas City’s east side, which has been historically negatively impacted by the construction of U.S. Highway 71.
“Highway 71 was constructed in the 1990s and early 2000s with the goal of providing a direct connection between downtown Kansas City with the growing southern areas of the region. However, the Highway 71 corridor tore through predominately African-American neighborhoods on Kansas City’s east side. In total, nearly 2,000 African-American families were displaced during construction.
“In addition to negatively impacting nearby neighborhoods, this portion of Highway 71 has the highest numbers of severe injury and fatal crashes for pedestrians and cyclists in the Kansas City metro. Many residents coming from the east are forced to cross the highway to access the Prospect MAX bus line, grocery stores, and other retail attracting residents from the east side.”
The HG Consult study team will be responsible for conducting a thorough analysis of the corridor, performing extensive public outreach efforts, developing potential solutions, and charting a course forward for a safer, more connected, and more equitable community around 71 Highway. That work will allow construction to begin, with estimates putting the start of construction in 2029.
PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE TO THE BERKLEY RIVERFRONT
Kansas City, MO 4th District Councilman Eric Bunch, known for his focus on transit and the pedestrian experience, was heavily supported by unions in his recent successful bid for reelection. He has spent years pushing for this now$12.2 million project to reconnect the now-booming Berkley Riverfront neighborhood to the Rivermarket, which will allow pedestrians to go between the two neighborhoods. The bridge will be built alongside the existing Grand Boulevard Viaduct, which will carry both cars and the IBEW Local 53 operated KC Streetcar.
The Berkley Riverfront was once fairly empty, but now features over a thousand residents, businesses, and the new CPKC Stadium with many more residential units to come.
Councilman Bunch, who represents this area, has championed this important infrastructure project that will lead to union jobs and a healthier city. This will likely be a defining project for the councilman.
18TH STREET BRIDGE
“The health of our transportation infrastructure is vital to the safety of all who travel on Kansas’ roads, bridges, and highways,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “The 18th Street bridge has been a critical connection for decades, and this project will support continued success and growth in the area.”
The 18th Street bridge over the Kansas River in Wyandotte County is part of U.S. 69 and a key link for Kansas City neighborhoods. Built in 1959, the bridge has had many repairs over the years, but now it’s beyond restoration and needs to be replaced.
Upon inspection in 2017, the bridge was immediately closed for corrosion and cracking repairs. During this closure, from April to December 2018, comprehensive repairs were made, extending the bridge’s life. However, a long-term plan was needed as the bridge was nearing the end of its service life, and maintenance was no longer cost-effective.
“Bridges are absolutely vital to our public infrastructure – not just as part of our state highway system, but as crossings within communities,” Secretary of Transportation Calvin Reed said. “KDOT appreciates the emphasis the U.S. DOT has placed on updating our existing bridges, such as the one on 18th Street over the Kansas River.”
In 2019, KDOT completed a study to evaluate bridge options and identify a preferred alternative.
During this study, the 18th Street Bridge Replacement Project Team developed a range of alternatives, which were compared and evaluated using various engineering factors. This study’s key goals were maintaining the Kansas River crossing and improving safety for travelers through the U.S. 69 (18th Street) corridor.
The bridge currently has four 12-foot lanes with narrow shoulders measuring two to three feet wide; the new bridge will use modern design standards with 10-foot exterior shoulders and 6-foot interior shoulders. It will also include visually appealing designs for the fencing over the railroad and the exterior concrete pattern, which will be consistent with the pattern used on the Lewis and Clark Viaduct, which connects Kansas City, Kansas, to Kansas City, Missouri.
KDOT will implement additional improvements in the corridor to utilize the full closure of 18th Street while the bridge is being replaced. These improvements will include roadway improvements along 18th Street just north and south of the Kansas River and bridge rehabilitation on the 18th Street bridges over Ruby Avenue, Metropolitan Avenue, Kansas City Terminal Railway, and Osage Avenue.
Construction is scheduled to begin in 2025, and the 18th Street Bridge will be closed to traffic throughout the duration of construction. This full closure is estimated to last approximately 24 months.
U.S. DOT Bridge Investment Program grants focus on funding for existing bridges to reduce the overall number of bridges in poor condition or in fair condition at risk of falling into poor condition. The program also expands opportunities for all levels of government to apply for and be direct recipients of program funds to advance projects that meet local community needs.
Tristin Amezcua-Hogan is the Editor of The Labor Beacon and a member of LIUNA Local 264. Tristin also serves as the Director of Communications for the Greater Kansas City AFL-CIO and the Chair of the Kansas City Regional Transit Alliance.
Tristin grew up as the son of a UA Local 669 member in Tecumseh, KS and the great-nephew of George C. Amis, longtime leader of the United Rubberworkers (now USW Local 307) in Kansas. Growing up in rural Kansas as the child of teen parents, Tristin quickly came to appreciate the life-changing benefit of a union job.
Tristin and his partner, Rebeca Amezcua-Hogan, are residents of the Westside, Kansas City, MO's historic Mexican neighborhood. They are proud members of Kansas City's New Reform Temple.
