Kansas city’s first-ever barrier-separated bicycle and pedestrian path over the Missouri River.
The Facility
The region’s first barrier-separated path over the Missouri River officially opened on October 1st, 2010. MoDOT was able to retrofit the bridge two years ahead of schedule thanks stimulus funding from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. The 8-10 foot wide path starts at the bridge’s 3rd Street entrance ramp in KCMO’s Columbus Park neighborhood, just east of the City Market and ends at 10th Avenue in North Kansas City.
The Gap
The bridge has alternate northbound access for people traveling from the Downtown Loop. A gap at 3rd Street allows people to get behind the barrier after coming from further south on the road’s shoulder. This route is only recommended for experienced bicyclists comfortable with mixing in high speed traffic and navigating through multiple entrance ramps.
Background
Advocates had long sought access to the Christopher S. Bond Bridge, the replacement for the Paseo Bridge that carries I-35 and I-29 across the Missouri River. After MoDOT and Senator Kit Bond repeatedly refused to consider a bike/ped path on the new bridge, MoDOT and the Mid-America Regional Council conducted a study of bike/ped bridge options and settled on the Heart of America Bridge as the first to be retrofit.
MoDOT initially committed to retrofitting the HOA Bridge after the Bond Bridge was finished in 2012, however funds from the America Reinvestment and Recovery Act allowed them to move up the timeline by two years.
Related Information:
KCBike.Info’s map of access routes to/from the bridge.
Brent Hugh analyzes bike/ped conditions on the HOA
