KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas lawmaker is circulating an online petition to fix the Central Avenue Bridge.
Kansas Rep. Pam Curtis (D - Wyandotte County) is behind the petition, which seeks to raise awareness for the repair or replacement of the structure that links the West Bottoms in Kansas City, Missouri, to the historic neighborhoods in Kansas City, Kansas.
“My intent behind the petition was really to show the tremendous support that we have from the businesses and the residents in the area that use this bridge," Curtis said. "It’s a very important economic artery for our community and I just wanted to show the tremendous support there is behind working with our state and federal and local partners to rebuild the whole Central Avenue bridge."
The bridge closed in February 2021 after analysis from a contracted firm reported "extensive deterioration of its bottom truss members."
“The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas has not made any formal decision to demolish the Central Avenue bridge," a Unified Government spokesperson said in a statement. "There was an error in the original capital maintenance and infrastructure document referenced in the petition from a budget presentation earlier this summer. There are no plans to demolish the bridge. The proposed budget presented on Aug. 10 includes our prioritized capital projects which is up for discussion with the UG Board of Commissioners."
The statement acknowledged Curtis' concerns and added the Unified Government is working with state and federal officials to find ways to pay for repairs on the Central Avenue Bridge and Kansas Avenue Bridge.
"I wish they would fix the bridge," local business owner Mike Dempsey said Friday.
He has owned an aluminum foundry business near the Central Avenue Bridge since 1974 and said the closure has created an inconvenience.
"I’ve had customers get lost and it’s hard to explain to them, well you can’t go this way if you’ve been coming this way for 20 years," Dempsey said. "Now you got to circle down to James Street and come back around from the North.”
The Unified Government is encouraging the public to attend a budget hearing at 7 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 28. in the Municipal Building, 701 N. 7th Street, Kansas City, Kansas, 66101.
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