Construction about to begin on Rock Island Bridge redevelopment

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - The old Rock Island Railroad bridge over the Kansas River is on the verge of a transformation.

In July 2022 the Unified Government of Wyandotte County approved a zoning request, allowing a plan to redevelop the bridge to move forward.

Flying Truss, LLC, the group behind the redevelopment, has been planning to turn the bridge into shops and restaurants overlooking the river, with a pedestrian path connecting to trails on both sides of the river.

Brad McDonald, the owner of ZipKC in Bonner Springs, is now planning a supplementary feature for the development. He’s proposing a zipline route from the top of HyVee Arena, along with an aerial park on the building’s 3.5 acre roof.

“You’ll have four ziplines going across the river, going parallel to the bridge,” McDonald said. “We want to do a major improvement every year for the next few years.”

Construction on the bridge could begin as early as March of this year, with a targeted completion date of St. Patrick’s Day in 2024.

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