KANSAS CITY, Mo. — "Reconnecting the East Side" was the mission behind Saturday’s public summit, with the goal of addressing the issues and impacts of U.S. Highway 71 on this community.
U.S. 71 started in a frenzy of interstate highway planning and construction, 70 years ago, but was delayed and significantly altered due to organized community resistance.
A compromise solution resulted from the 1985 Federal Consent Decree, where U.S. 71 was to be built as “less than a highway and more than a parkway.”
The highway finally opened for operation in 2001, and in the 24 years since the city says that several of the stated benefits and compromise solutions have failed to materialize.
“The highway definitely divided the community,” City Engineer Nicolas Bosonetto said. “It tore down a lot of houses, a lot of businesses. Thousands of people were moved out of the community. And it also separated it physically. Prospect Ave used to be a very vital economic corridor with a lot of businesses.”
The summit is one of the first steps in a three-part phase to identify problems and solutions as a result of U.S. 71. Saturday’s event was for residents to share personal impacts and what they would like to see improved.
“One of the things that I’ve seen is they always complain that we don’t pay attention to them when it comes to big projects or when it comes to issues that affect them,” Darrell Curls, city councilman 5th district at large, said.
The highway caused social, economic, and residential challenges as well as significant safety concerns. Traffic safety issues and barriers to mobility for neighborhoods, on the east side of Kansas City, Missouri, have arisen.
The decree required the retention of three signalized, at-grade crossings and imposed specific legal guidelines for any substantial reconfiguration of the U.S. 71 corridor.
Addressing or resolving the decree is a key focus of Phase 2 (October 2025-December 2026), to allow for transformative solutions. The project team will work with legal counsel to enable transformative solutions prioritizing equity, connectivity, and community needs.
Jacques Pierre Fransaw is a resident in the area ready to see the change and growth.
“It’s going to be a benefit to our communities as well as the city as far as enhancing this infrastructure.”
Phase 3 of the project will be from June 2026 to September 2028.
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