When will KC streetcar construction be done on Main Street? Updated timeline, details
If you moved to Kansas City in the past few years, you’ve likely never driven down Main Street in midtown without dodging an obstacle course of orange cones and lane closures.
That’s all about to change.
Major construction efforts for the long-awaited streetcar southern extension are scheduled to wrap up by the end of 2024, KC Streetcar Authority spokesperson Donna Mandelbaum told The Star.
The massive project, which will more than double the length of the streetcar’s north-south route and extend it from Union Station to UMKC, is officially three-quarters completed, with over 80% of the tracks laid. Going up next are the overhead catenary wires, which will provide power to the all-electric streetcar.
While Mandelbaum couldn’t share an exact opening date for the streetcar extension, she added that workers are nearing the end of the most obstructive work for Main Street traffic.
“Definitely, by the end of the year, it’ll be a lot more cleaned up than it is,” she said. “Basically all the big ticket items for construction will be done by the end of this year.”
Here’s a closer look at the streetcar extension’s progress along Main Street.
When will construction on Main Street be finished?
The major construction elements of the streetcar that have caused lane and intersection closures are scheduled to be completed in the coming months. These include laying tracks along Main Street, including through major intersections, and installing the catenary power lines that will serve the streetcar.
“This summer, a lot of work is going on at the intersections at Linwood, 39th Street and the Plaza.” Mandelbaum said. “Once we get through September, things are going to look a lot different.”
She added that after Labor Day, the project will pause downtown streetcar service for several weeks in order to connect the existing tracks to the newly laid ones near Union Station. This significant step will add 3.5 additional miles of track to the streetcar’s route — although the extension won’t be open for business until 2025.
After the major construction elements are complete, the first months of 2025 will be used for extensive testing of the new tracks, overhead power lines and streetcar vehicles. That means drivers may see the new streetcar vehicles — either empty or weighted with sandbags to mimic a full load of passengers — riding the rails early next year.
The Streetcar Authority will also schedule a handful of test rides before the official opening to get feedback on the new route’s features from specific communities, like wheelchair users and the visually impaired.
What new features will the streetcar extension bring to Main Street?
Main Street drivers can expect to encounter a host of upgrades to this major thoroughfare as soon as this fall. Here are a handful we learned about:
New streetcar vehicles: The KC Streetcar currently operates six vehicles on its downtown route. The southern extension project will add eight more, bringing the total up to 14.
New stops: The extension will add 15 new streetcar stops to Main Street, all of them equipped with benches, awnings and raised curbs for easy access to the streetcar. The project will also construct or improve curbs and sidewalks along Main Street, even where they don’t directly impact the streetcar.
Crossovers: Currently, if any part of the streetcar’s route is unnavigable, the whole downtown route has to shut down. Two new “crossover” tracks have been added to help mitigate this issue. These diagonal tracks allow streetcar vehicles to cross the road and change directions if one segment of the route is experiencing a power outage or other problems. The two new crossovers are located at Westport Road and Pershing Road.
Power substations: Rather than being connected to nearby neighborhoods’ power grids, the streetcar has four of its own power substations to provide electricity — and the extension will bring in five more. These squat brick buildings are located along the route and ensure that if a nearby area loses power, the streetcar will still be operational.
Mandelbaum added that the Streetcar Authority can also use these stations to shut off power to portions of the route as needed, like when city or Evergy crews are doing maintenance on nearby power lines.
Repaving Main Street: Currently, the fresh concrete around the newly installed streetcar tracks is raised slightly above the level of the rest of Main Street. Mandelbaum told The Star that this won’t be the case for long: The streetcar project plans to repave the entire stretch of Main Street along the southern extension route — ideally before the year is over.
“The entire roadway will get milled and overlaid and everything will be flush and smooth,” she said.
Moving forward, any damage to the “track slabs” that contain the streetcar rails will be the streetcar authority’s responsibility, while potholes and other damage to the newly repaved road will fall under the city’s purview.
Do we have an opening date yet for the streetcar extension?
So far, we know that the streetcar extension is on schedule to open to the public in 2025. But Mandelbaum said it’s too early to predict exactly when next year the first riders will be welcomed onboard.
“We have never tested a line this extensive before, so we’re not sure how long the testing process will take in 2025. That’s the big unknown,” she said.
The Streetcar Authority is tentatively planning for around six months of testing, putting the opening date in the summer of 2025. But that timeline could easily shift depending on how testing goes.
Mandelbaum shared that the downtown streetcar line took around three to four months to test on its two-mile, mostly flat route. The new extension is 3 1/2 miles, and incorporates new challenges like steep hills near Liberty Memorial and the Plaza.
“(There are) things that we don’t know, like how the streetcars themselves will work with the topography. So in the best interest of everybody, including our riders, it’s best to take the time to do this safely,” she said.
“I know everybody’s super eager. I am one of them. But it’s best to do it right and take our time, make sure everything is as super safe as possible, and then we can get everybody on board.”
Do you have more questions about infrastructure development in Kansas City? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
This story was originally published June 4, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
CORRECTION: This story originally misstated how far along the city is in the process of installing wires to power the streetcar. It has been updated.
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