The Swope Park Industrial Area Flyover Bridge project marks the culmination of efforts initiated in the 1990s, representing a transformative milestone for the region. Flooding and access issues plagued the Swope Park Industrial Area in Kansas City, Missouri, for many years. Home to approximately 400 jobs, its proximity to the Blue River often exposed it to storm surges, and the railroad crossing at 75th Street, the only road into the area, meant that employees and emergency personnel were frequently blocked from passage by long-running or stopped trains. The city knew it needed a solution to sustain the critical businesses in the busy development.
To address the flooding, the USACE Kansas City District designed an approximately 7,000-foot system of floodwalls and levees capable of protecting the area from flooding up to a 500-year event. The project, which is complete, brings much-needed protection to these companies and their employees.
Meanwhile, the city eliminated the at-grade rail crossing by relocating 75th Street and building a bridge over the railroad and new floodwall. The bridge has improved overall traffic flow, including response times for emergency responders, as well as general accessibility for delivery vehicles and employees. The improvement has enhanced the overall quality of life in the industrial area. The bridge also serves as a critical part of the flood protection project by providing reliable access to the industrial area during floods.
Hanson’s team completed the design for this complex bridge project, which involved engineering solutions to address several challenges, such as tying the bridge into a levee, mitigating up to 42 inches of settlement of the underlying soils, preserving land for planned development and protecting large sanitary sewer lines. One of the solutions resulted in developing an innovative method to install bridge foundations near levees.
According to Michael Chapman, chief of the USACE Kansas City District, “This was a complex bridge design task order, requiring coordination with a railroad, city government, the levee designer, state transportation department and utilities companies. Hanson, always available for discussion or to answer questions, communicated the status of schedule and cost, as well as impacts of changes promptly after they occurred. The team demonstrated expertise, ambition, reliability and punctuality.”
