The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission gave the Kansas City District the authority to take the I-29-/I-35 corridor and bridge replacement project through the design-build process.
The go-ahead for design-build on the Paseo Bridge replacement project marks the second design-build authority approved by the commission this year. District 6 has received approval to take Interstate 64 reconstruction through the expedited process.
The District 4 project authorizes MoDOT to select and hire a design and construction team that can complete a bridge replacement project by Oct. 31, 2011, years sooner than if the project had followed a conventional design and construction path. The $245 million project, which includes adding capacity to cross the Missouri River and 4 miles of highways, will save taxpayers $7.5 million a year through the faster process.
The design-build team, led by engineers Brian Kidwell and Jim Shipley, told the commission they are committed to a participatory process that encourages public and stakeholder involvement in the utility and aesthetics of the project. The goal is to build a signature structure that will deliver a century of useful service, and maximize safety, mobility and capacity.
While spokesmen for the City of North Kansas City, the Downtown Council of Kansas City, the Northland Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce voiced support for the design-build route, a representative of the Ozark Chapter of the Sierra Club urged caution. Ron McLinden, Sierra Club spokesman, questioned whether public transit, pedestrian/bicycle and social justice issues are being sufficiently addressed.
The decision to award design-build authority came following the Downtown Council’s presentation to Director Pete Rahn of a resolution lauding MoDOT for speedy completion of the Paseo Bridge rehabilitation project this summer. Repainting, deck and structural repairs were completed nearly two months ahead of schedule, pleasing nearly 100,000 motorists who rely on the bridge each day.
