See which KCK bridges have plans to reopen — and which are still waiting on fixes

With numerous entry points into Kansas City, Kansas, closed for the foreseeable future, people visiting the region for the 2026 World Cup will have to figure out alternative routes to get to some downtown businesses and neighborhoods.

Their traffic frustrations will likely mirror what Wyandotte County residents, businesses and local commuters have experienced for years.

Ongoing closures that are cutting people off from eastern KCK will persist throughout 2026 as Wyandotte County and state transportation officials address dated infrastructure projects.

At least five major connection points to and throughout KCK were closed as officials conduct repairs and overall replacements on area bridges. Local officials have long struggled to bring in state and federal funding for major projects, like the Central Avenue Bridge, to get the arteries back up and running.

And although the state announced last month that it would be directing $135 million to start 2028 repairs on the long-defunct bridge and two others, legislators just last week moved forward a proposal to delay millions in infrastructure plans in urban northeast Kansas and to redistribute those funds to the state’s rural communities.

If approved as part of the 2026-27 budget, it’s possible – but not guaranteed – that repairs to the Central Avenue Bridge and others could be delayed and lose those earmarked funds. However, what projects are ultimately affected will be decided on by the Kansas Department of Transportation.

Central Avenue Bridge

Reopening the Central Avenue Bridge, which connects Kansas City, Missouri, to an active KCK business corridor, has been a priority among local advocates. The bridge closed in 2021 after officials discovered part of the bottom truss members had deteriorated to the point it was no longer safe to travel on.

Currently, someone in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, who wants to visit KCK’s Central Avenue businesses, like Slap’s BBQ, Chicago’s or Splitlog, have to take an alternate route into town and cut south across town to get there.

“For some of us living in the urban core of KCK, there’s a lot to navigate, even week-to-week when it comes to knowing what route to take to get to a different part of town,” said Marcus Winn, a local advocate who leads a coalition tasked with reopening the bridge.

Winn has seen some projects have a targeted end date that ultimately gets pushed back. Other projects appear to be open-ended.

Although he was initially excited by Gov. Laura Kelly’s announcement that Central Avenue Bridge funding would be coming to KCK, he now feels like legislators pulled the rug out from under him and other people who have worked for four-years to move that project forward.

Closed corridors disrupt the city’s economic vitality, Winn told The Star this week. Businesses that rely on the bridges to recruit and retain staff and bring in foot traffic have been particularly affected.

“There’s a real economic impact and I think it’s not just indirect,” Winn said. “Infrastructure is economic development.”

Kansas Avenue Bridge

The Kansas Avenue Bridge, which connects part of KCK to the West Bottoms, has been closed since 2022 due to “extensive structural deterioration” that made the bridge unsafe to cross, according to the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and KCK.

That project may be getting $1.2 million in federal funds to design and conduct environmental clearance on the bridge, U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids announced late last month.

However, no full funding plan was in place for the project as of Friday, according to the Unified Government.

“While funding has been identified for Central Avenue, funding for Kansas Avenue has not yet been identified,” wrote Dave Reno, a public information officer for the Unified Government, in an email.

Mayor Christal Watson is lobbying for $1.2 million for the Kansas Avenue Bridge throughout negotiations with the state and Kansas City Chiefs as the team prepares to cross over into Kansas, an attorney representing the Unified Government said during a recent public meeting.

She’s also asking for $2 million for the Union Pacific Bridge and $1.5 million for east-to-west bus line improvements.

18th St. Bridge

KDOT just last week demolished the city’s 18th St. Bridge, which connects the Armourdale and Argentine neighborhoods over the Kansas River. The controlled demolition moved forward efforts to entirely replace the bridge, which it wants to do by 2027.

Kelly announced the $62.4 million replacement project in 2024. The bridge has been fully closed since early last year.

It’s due for complete replacement due to corrosion and cracking that has had to be continually repaired throughout its lifetime.

Turner Diagonal Freeway

The state has worked on a series of repairs related to the Turner Diagonal Freeway and KS-32 bridges, which run eastbound and westbound. The bridges have been closed since 2022 and were awaiting 2024 completion that has since been pushed back to May 2026.

The bridge construction is estimated to cost $22.7 million overall.

K-5 over the Union Pacific Railroad

The Kansas Department of Transportation in May 2025 closed the K-5 bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad in order to replace the bridge’s deck.

The $12.5 million project will continue through May 2026, according to the Unified Government. But lanes will reopen before then.

The Star’s Matt Kelly contributed to this report.

This story was originally published February 23, 2026 at 5:47 AM.