Great news for Kansas Citians who need to cross the Missouri River on foot or bicycle.  The Missouri Departmetn of Transportation has announced that it will retrofit the Chouteau Bridge with bike lanes and barrier-separated paths by the end of 2010. Combined with a similar retrofit of the Heart of America Bridge, we will soon go from zero to two safe river crossings.

The Chouteau project is being designed to accommodate users of all skill levels, whether for transportation or recreation.  The bridge will get eight foot multi-use paths on each side, separated from traffic by barriers. There will also be on-street bike lanes in each direction, about 5′ 8” wide.  As an added bonus, the KCMO Parks Department is rebuilding Chouteau Trafficway into a boulevard north of the bridge with bike lanes and a trail.

Finally, the City is planning to extend the Riverfront Heritage from the Heart of America Bridge east to Chouteau, creating a great link between the two bridges. The city is currently seeking funds to build this trail connection, so a completion date is not yet known.

MoDOT has more information on their web site.

Chouteau Bridge public meeting
Tuesday, September 8th, 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Mid-America Regional Council, 600 Broadway Boulevard, KCMO
Bike parking available on the northwest corner of the building.

View HOA/Chouteau connections in a larger map