These 2 upgrades will make it easier to get to Kansas City’s riverfront by 2026

Kansas Citians will have a much easier time getting to the growing Berkley Riverfront and the KC Current stadium by next year.

The City Council approved a $15.4 million contract with Radmacher Brothers Excavating on Thursday to build the future Grand Boulevard pedestrian bridge, which will connect the River Market to the Berkley Riverfront for cyclists and people on foot over train tracks and past the Heart of America Bridge.

It will run parallel to the existing vehicle bridge, which does not have a sidewalk, and allow pedestrians to directly access the riverfront without contending with fast-moving cars on the road or having to take a longer, indirect route around. The new bridge will be 1,285 long and 16 feet wide.

It’s expected to open in 2026. The Berkley Riverfront area already has hundreds of residents alongside amenities drawing visitors, and the area continues to transform into a full-fledged neighborhood as developers pursue $1 billion in development to bring new apartments and businesses to the riverfront, which used to be a literal dumping ground.

And it comes as officials announced that the track that will extend the streetcar over the existing bridge to the Berkley Riverfront is fully in place. Further infrastructure work and testing remains on the extension, which is expected to open in 2026.

The separate project to extend the streetcar down Main Street down to the University of Missouri-Kansas City campus is expected to be finished and open in the fall of 2025.