Upgrades completed on 31st Street in Kansas City ahead of World Cup. See the details
This Midtown corridor received an upgrade, and Kansas City will mark the completion Friday.
Kansas City’s Public Works Department will host a ribbon cutting for the 31st Street streetscape project on Friday at 1 p.m. at a parking lot across the road from Kansas City PBS at 31st and Grand Boulevard.
The new sidewalks, circle-motif native landscaping and raised crosswalks stretch from Main Street to Gillham Road. A press release from Kansas City Public Works detailed more upgrades:
- Raised crosswalks at non-signalized locations to increase pedestrian visibility and safety
- Widened and cleared sidewalk pathways through the relocation of streetlights, decorative lighting, and other obstructions
- Improved sight lines for safer travel
- Curb extensions (bump-outs) around on-street parking to calm traffic and improve pedestrian crossings
- New pedestrian signals featuring audible and vibrating indications for enhanced accessibility
- Relocated and consolidated bus stops serving the 31 and 85 lines, with improved accessibility features
- Installation of native landscaping, including plantings, trees, and shrubs
Bordering the Union Hill, Longfellow and north Hyde Park neighborhoods, the upgrades were “designed to improve safety, accessibility, and the overall user experience along the corridor.”
The streetscape project connects the recently-expanded streetcar on Main Street with the newly illuminated KCTV5 Tower and eateries on Martini Corner.
Construction began in July on the two-lane road, which in 2025 carried more than 6,200 vehicles each day, including the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority’s 31 bus line, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation.
This is one of the six Kansas City Public Works projects expected to finish in May before the World Cup. Those projects include streetscapes in the 18th and Vine district, near the stadiums and on the West Side.
