KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Starting Monday, a portion of 49th Street will be closed for one to two weeks as part of the KC Streetcar expansion.
The closures were supposed to take place Wednesday, but the foot traffic generated by the NFL Draft along Main Street caused crews to shift plans around.
However, a three-week closure on 43rd Street west at Main street will still take effect Wednesday for track construction. KC Streetcar constructors report despite delays and shortages seen across the construction industry, the expansion is still slated to be completed by 2025.
"We've just been really proactive with the suppliers who we get stuff from and have just asked how far in advance, do we need to place this order?" Katie Meyer with KC Streetcar Constructors said. "We've been proactively working with our groups to make sure that we don't have any delays due to that work."
KC Streetcar Constructors said the Main Street extension project has seen has seen 267,354 labor hours as of March 31, 2023 and continues to generate jobs. In fact, more than 80% of the workforce are all people who live in Kansas City and nearby communities. The extension, which will stretch 3.5 miles along Main Street, from Union Station to the University of Missouri - Kansas City campus at 51st Street and Brookside Boulevard, will cost over $351 million.
Streetcar constructors say so far, the project is also within budget and continues to have constant communication with businesses along the construction zone.
"We'll actually go physically door-to-door within a block of the road closure, hang up door hangers on any neighborhood so that they know what they can expect and also physically walk into the business and talk to people," Meyer said.
Back in March, The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority issued a request for construction bids to build the riverfront extension. It comes as the KC Streetcar continues to gain popularity, especially during the NFL Draft. According to KC Streetcar Authority, from April 27-29 the streetcar issued 57,490 passenger trips.
