Heads up KCK drivers: The 18th Street bridge is closing for 2 years for major repairs

Travelers who use the 18th Street Expressway in Wyandotte County may want to plan for new routes.

Starting this week, the 66-year-old bridge, known as US 69, will undergo a makeover expected to last until the fall of 2027.

The projected cost is around $138 million with a federal grant covering $100 million.

The bridge closed in 2018 for nearly seven months for repair after a study revealed structural deficiencies. Yet in 2019, another study found that additional repairs were needed to get motorists across the Kansas River and BNSF Rail Yard safely.

The route will remain the same from 18th Street and Quindaro Boulevard to 18th Street and Bunker Avenue. Drivers can use the Kansas Turnpike to South 7th Street to South 21st Street and Metropolitan Avenue to get back on the original route.

The 18th Street Expressway carries over 30,000 daily travelers. It’s just one of 17 of Kansas City, Kansas’s major bridges.