KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Whether the World Cup comes to Kansas City, Missouri, in 2026 or not, the city will look quite different. Soccer officials plan to announce the 2026 host cities Thursday afternoon.
Here’s a list of some of the major infrastructure changes coming to the region:
Kansas City International Airport single terminal
The new terminal at KCI is contractually obligated to be complete in 2023. Leaders continue to say the $1.5 billion project is on time and on budget.
KC Current soccer stadium
Kansas City’s National Women’s Soccer League team, the KC Current, will open the first women’s soccer-specific stadium in 2024. The 11,500-seat stadium will be along the banks of the Missouri River at Berkley Riverfront Park. The team announced in May the project will cost $117 million. World Cup games would take place at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Buck O’Neil Bridge
The Missouri Department of Transportation says building the new Buck O’Neil Bridge will be complete in late 2024. The bridge carries U.S. 169 Highway across the Missouri River. The new bridge will include a direct connection to Interstate 35 and is expected to cost $220 million.
KC Streetcar extension
Work to expand the KC Streetcar south of its current terminus at Union Station an additional 3.5 miles to the University of Missouri-Kansas City campus should be complete in 2025. The project will cost $351 million.
Deck over Interstate 670 on the south loop of downtown
In April, city, state and federal leaders announced plans to build a cap or deck over I-670 as it passes through downtown Kansas City. The deck will create a public park from Grand Boulevard to Wyandotte Street, turning the highway into a kind of tunnel in that area. Design and engineering work is underway now. The city expects construction to begin in late 2025, and the project to cost roughly $160 million.
