OFFICIAL - Buck O'Neil Bridge

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taxi
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Re: New Broadway Bridge

Post by taxi »

I'm a little late to the conversation, but does anyone know who maintains the ped/bike sections? The HoA Bridge path is usually a mess and borderline dangerous for bicycles (busted drainage grates that are poorly marked and never fixed, broken glass and debris, human waste, roadkill, sand at the south entrance/exit which is at the bottom of a hill, etc.). Bob Watts would not be happy. I ride it often and while I'm glad it's there, it's condition is depressing. I hope the one across the new B'way Bridge is better maintained, but I have low expectations.
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Re: New Broadway Bridge

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Re: New Broadway Bridge

Post by GRID »

KCPowercat wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 6:02 pm
GRID wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 3:45 pm
KCPowercat wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 3:42 pm Not necessarily RIP.
If the Broadway Bridge stays and becomes part of a larger recreational plan for downtown then they can do what they want with the new bridge. I just don't see that happening.

And if it does happen, I don't see it being properly funded, designed and implemented in a way that it would be successful.

KC just does not seem capable of doing such a thing. Just being honest.
I'm honestly surprised we are still an incorporated city.
You know I like KC. But come on. Using modern urban planning techniques, then building and properly maintaining basic infrastructure is NOT one of KC's greatest assets, especially recreational infrastructure. As a matter of fact, it's probably one of the worst in the entire country at it. It is what it is.
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Re: New Broadway Bridge

Post by flyingember »

GRID wrote: Thu Feb 11, 2021 10:08 am You know I like KC. But come on. Using modern urban planning techniques, then building and properly maintaining basic infrastructure is NOT one of KC's greatest assets, especially recreational infrastructure. As a matter of fact, it's probably one of the worst in the entire country at it. It is what it is.
It's caused by the sprawl and incredibly it could be way worse

Take away the suburbs inside the city limits and the e-tax and the urban core would be in much worse shape from the much smaller tax base of the 1980s-early 2000s
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Re: New Broadway Bridge

Post by moderne »

The 169 northbound as it connects onto the bridge appears to be a fairly severe dog leg. The Broadway ramp onto the bridge merges/yields right past this. What is the speed limit going to be? The northbound 169 exit from 35 looks to be 2 lanes. That will take a lot of carving into the escarpment where it is already a sheer drop. How much more of the park will this eat up? What will the retaining wall design be? I am sure it will not match the old park walls. Too bad, At least in the 1970 freeway construction they used real stone facing.
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Re: New Broadway Bridge

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moderne wrote: Thu Feb 18, 2021 4:55 pm The 169 northbound as it connects onto the bridge appears to be a fairly severe dog leg. The Broadway ramp onto the bridge merges/yields right past this. What is the speed limit going to be? The northbound 169 exit from 35 looks to be 2 lanes. That will take a lot of carving into the escarpment where it is already a sheer drop. How much more of the park will this eat up? What will the retaining wall design be? I am sure it will not match the old park walls. Too bad, At least in the 1970 freeway construction they used real stone facing.
North bound flyover from 35 is 1 lane. Current embankment is a plain concrete wall which looks to be what they are proposing.
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Re: New Broadway Bridge

Post by moderne »

Now I see that the nb 35 is 1 lane from watching the flyover video. It is the Broadway northbound that is 2 lanes that merge into one as it crosses the river. Why have 2 lanes from Broadway at all? Unless it may reduce some back up in rush hour onto surface street.
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Re: New Broadway Bridge

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Glimpse of what Kansas City’s new $220 million Buck O’Neil Bridge will look like

https://fox4kc.com/news/glimpse-of-what ... look-like/
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Re: New Broadway Bridge

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FangKC wrote: Tue Feb 23, 2021 4:27 pm Glimpse of what Kansas City’s new $220 million Buck O’Neil Bridge will look like

https://fox4kc.com/news/glimpse-of-what ... look-like/
I know this project doesn't see to bother most here, but I can't stand it. It's fking hideous. I hate this project with a passion. This is going to remove so much character from downtown and it's not gong to age well. It's 1950's highway design with a sidewalk thrown on it. I just don't understand.
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Re: New Broadway Bridge

Post by GRID »

I see that Mayor Lucas tweeted this.
Grateful(!) to see the project moving, but we need to enhance the features on this bridge and look to retain as much of the separate, old bridge as possible. This is currently one of our prettier Missouri River crossings. We should retain that vibe, not just mimic the 435 bridge.
Thank god I'm not the only one. He should do something. KC was close to having the Paseo Bridge replaced with a similar boring highway girder bridge till Barnes stepped up made made the cable stay bridge happen. Can you imagine both the Paseo and the Broadway being replaced with these utilitarian bridges? At least they would match the Heart of American and the rest of the downtown loop.

I think the Bond bridge is really nice and it's an interstate bridge and doesn't need sidewalks etc. It really added to the city's image vs just a 435 bridge there.

I still say if you can't find the money to properly build one of the largest pieces of infrastructure in downtown KC that will be there for decades, then take out the damn flyover ramps and use that money to improve the aesthetics of the bridge structure and the pedestrian experience. Not just the pedestrian experience of the bridge, but how it ties to the city and trails on both ends.

I really hope this plan gets an audible.
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Re: New Broadway Bridge

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The tourism spinoff from the bond bridge has been significant
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Re: New Broadway Bridge

Post by normalthings »

With the supposed aviation height restrictions, I would think the only way to beautify this bridge(besides more lights) would be to add arches to the underside. Just scrolling through Google Images, I'm not sure of any pretty new bridges with a clear top side.


This is a new arch ish styled bridge in Minneapolis. Looks okay but I probably wouldn't pay extra for it. The addition of lights takes it from bland to art. I think the currently proposed new Broadway Bridge with a sizable lighting budget could intriguing at night/evening.

I-35W Saint Anthony Falls Bridge. Minneapolis

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Re: New Broadway Bridge

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KCPowercat wrote: Tue Feb 23, 2021 7:20 pm The tourism spinoff from the bond bridge has been significant
Dude, you are starting to sound more and more like a kansas citian every day 8)
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Re: New Broadway Bridge

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Everybody wants a golden gate bridge. We agree. Money is a real thing though
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Re: New Broadway Bridge

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And I'm glad the rendering came out and is getting a tepid review. Maybe they will find us some money to make it a more aesthetic bridge.
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Re: New Broadway Bridge

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I am still not sure why so many buildings have to be demolished. If we allowed Broadway to be completely closed, is this something that could be avoided?
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Re: New Broadway Bridge

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Think about how shitty 71 would look if those bridges were not dressed up and they even aged quite well. Who would want to live on one of those hills in Beacon Hill overlooking 71 if it looked like the Grandview Triangle. Jersey barriers everywhere and nothing but highway noise. The bridges actually add to the scenery rather than take away from it.

Cities big and small all over the usa and world somehow find a way to make sure signature infrastructure projects are taken up a notch. This is a problem in KC over and over and over. From Kemper, to the stadiums, to KCI and all the smaller projects across town. Even I-70 STILL looks like shit when driving through the KC area. They are constantly trying to improve it and yet it somehow still looks older and crappier than just about any interstate west of Pittsburgh. Maybe it's time to raise the freaking gas tax or something and stop being such a cheap state. But nobody complains. I guess they just don't notice.

This new bridge will take something that was charming, interesting and had character and replace it with the same crap that is all over the rest of the city. Barebones highway ramps that look like they were moved from the west bottoms or fairfax district.

As bad as the aesthetics are, to me it's not just the looks of the bridge though, it's how the bridge is being designed and how it's not part of a bigger plan to make downtown more inviting people walking etc. It doesn't have to be just biking on trails since you guys keep downplaying that when I mention it.

Why is this high speed connection from 169 to 35 such a high priority in a city that has almost no traffic on the interstates and a downtown that has almost no traffic on the surface streets. For 15 minutes a day, traffic builds at Broadway and 6th because people don't use the other 500 wide open options and so this monstrosity is the answer? Look at the footprint of that. You are tearing down more buildings and building more ramps in a downtown that has more highways than any other city in the country.

KCMO is literally building something that most cities are desperately trying to tear down right now.
Last edited by GRID on Tue Feb 23, 2021 8:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: New Broadway Bridge

Post by FangKC »

I hate this project too. The new bridge is just ugly compared to what we have now. They didn't even make any attempt to design it. I also hate that it takes out more River Market buildings (seven total). Why can't they push the bypass bridge further west over Beardsley Road?

At this point, I would rather they not add a bypass to I-35 and just put a new bridge that empties on Broadway. Screw all the people who what to blast through downtown to Johnson County.

I'm also tired of the downtown airport affecting everything being proposed downtown. Shut it down. Move it to the Randolph Bottoms.

Why the hell is the Brooklyn Bridge (opened 1883) still used daily and the Buck O'Neill Bridge (opened 1956) is too expensive to repair? Do we just not maintain our bridges in Missouri?
Last edited by FangKC on Tue Feb 23, 2021 8:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: New Broadway Bridge

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normalthings wrote: Tue Feb 23, 2021 8:03 pm I am still not sure why so many buildings have to be demolished. If we allowed Broadway to be completely closed, is this something that could be avoided?
Why would you even think of closing the connection to Broadway to maintain this connection to the interstate system?

It's the "BROADWAY" Bridge, not the I-35W Bridge. There is a reason people can do donuts and drag races down Grand. Because it doesn't go anywhere and has almost no through traffic on it. You want that on Broadway too?

Why can't the Broadway Bridge be the Broadway Bridge and take away all access to the loop? People can take other routes to avoid downtown or for driving through downtown to get to crossroads, plaza etc.

My mind is honest to god blown by this fascination with making sure 169 is basically I-35 Alternate (even if it cuts off one of Downtowns few remaining roads that goes someplace.)

I know I don't even live there anymore, but this is driving me nuts lol.
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Re: New Broadway Bridge

Post by normalthings »

FangKC wrote: Tue Feb 23, 2021 8:26 pm They didn't even make any attempt to design it.
It's a design-build project. They haven't designed the bridge yet.
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