KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City, Missouri, leaders advanced an ordinance last week to spend $1.5 million on a plan to improve the streetscape and accessibility along a stretch of Stadium Drive.
Spurred by the city’s hosting of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, officials are eyeing improvements to Stadium Drive between E. 31st Street and Raytown Road.
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Improvements include pedestrian lighting, a buffer fence, curbs, planted shoulders, a 10-foot-wide shared use path and a 5-foot-wide sidewalk.
Work, which is being completed in phases, is scheduled to be completed by May 2026, roughly one month before the city hosts its first of six matches at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (during the World Cup, organizers will refer to it as Kansas City Stadium).
The stretch between Park Avenue and Leeds Trafficway could include vendor space and additional pedestrian fencing. Officials are also working to ensure crossing of the railroad along Leeds Trafficway.
“The project is considered important due to Kansas City’s role as a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” city staff wrote in a docket memo, noting the improvements will “ensure public safety and efficient mobility during the event.”
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