Rock Island Bridge opens, connecting KCK to KCMO. Only one side is accessible
Wednesday’s opening of the Rock Island Bridge, a local destination that connects Kansas City, Kansas to Kansas City, Missouri, came with a slight catch.
People can’t entirely cross it — at least, not yet.
For the next few months, people who live on the west side of the bridge in KCK will have to drive over to the West Bottoms if they want to check out the attraction.
The bridge, a former railroad line that has been redeveloped into a multi-purpose entertainment center, spans over the Kansas River between the West Bottoms and KCK.
Mike Zeller of Flying Truss, LLC, the mind behind the $17 million redevelopment project, announced last month that the bridge would officially open for public use on Wednesday.
The 35,000-square-foot entertainment space has restaurants, seating to enjoy the view, and spaces for private and community events.
The project was a public-private collaboration between Zeller’s team and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and KCK. Zeller led construction of the bridge and its entertainment venues, and the Unified Government was tasked with constructing its access points.
So although the bridge is ready for public use, the local government is still working on getting full public access across the finish line.
The Unified Government has invested $10 million in a trail system and access ramps on the bridge’s west side, as well as a riverfront park on its east side, said Sarah White, a local government project engineer.
The western access point, which would connect KCK proper to the West Bottoms near Hyvee Arena, should be completed by fall of 2026. That access point will include a trailhead and parking on the west side, White said.
Construction has continued throughout a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers levee expansion project along the river, which is expected to finish at the end of the year, White said. The Unified Government can’t complete the entirety of the planned trail system on the bridge’s west side until after the Corps finishes its projects.
That means it’s likely KCK will have a new set of trails to explore sometime in 2027, White said.
Roughly 60% of the project was financed privately, 30% came from local and state funding, and 10% came from philanthropic donations to the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and KCK, Zeller previously told The Star.
Supporters of the bridge believe its completion will be an ideal meeting point for area leaders, community and special events, like farmers markets and weddings, and activate other waterfront activities.
