KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A new 50-foot pedestrian bridge is improving safety and accessibility at Platte Landing Park in Parkville as the city prepares for increased foot traffic during the FIFA World Cup 26.
The 10-foot-wide, dedicated pedestrian and bicycle bridge ,separates foot traffic from vehicles, addressing years of safety concerns at the popular park. Previously, pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles all shared the bridge.
"For people coming to Platte Landing Park, this is going to make your experience so much better and much safer," said Brittanie Propes, director of the Parkville Parks and Recreation Department..
The bridge upgrade comes as many visitors are expected to walk from the park area to Riverside. That's where the Netherlands will host its base camp during the tournament. The cities are connected by trails, and Parkville officials expect an increase in visitors during the FIFA World Cup 26.
"We're really excited for the World Cup and with Riverside just down the road, we actually have trails that connect to Riverside, and knowing that they're going to be kind of a hub of activity, and we're hopeful that Parkville is also experiencing the increase of visitors," Propes said.
The safety improvement was particularly needed for the park's numerous running events. Propes said the city hosts 5Ks, 10Ks and half marathons at English Landing Park.
"We host a lot of 5K, 10K, and half marathons here at English Landing Park, and a lot of times when we have all those runners trying to cross the bridge with vehicles, it becomes a real safety concern. And so now our dedicated path will be used for all of those events," Propes said.
The bridge project has been talked about for years as the park's popularity grew. When the original bridge was built, the area was farmland and Platte Landing Park didn't exist.
The improvement is part of Parkville's comprehensive 10-year Parks and Recreation master plan. The park sees hundreds of visitors daily, with thousands attending special events.
Additional improvements are planned throughout the master plan timeline, including an inclusive playground designed for children of all abilities.
"The walking bridge is gonna be nice," said Craig Neisen. "They recently did an upgrade to the parking lot when they put the farmers market back in, where we added in crosswalks and more sidewalks, and that's helped too."
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