Construction on improvement plan for Southwest Boulevard to start this summer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Expect to see more construction signs and cones on the Kansas City, Missouri side of a stretch of Southwest Boulevard.
The city announced it would be . On Tuesday, westside residents got to see what the future of the historic street will look like.
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Construction on the water lines is already underway and should wrap up soon. Next will be the start of the plan city leaders say will make road conditions safer for drivers and people walking around.
The project includes water main replacement, sidewalk repairs and overall beautifying the space, a total investment of $43.6 million.
'Currently, we have about $4 million to invest in Southwest Boulevard and that's to implement the traffic plan that the community has engaged with the city for the last year and a half,' Fourth District at Large Councilman Crispin Rea said.
Rea said the streetscape improvements will stretch from 25th Street to Broadway.
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It will mean fewer lanes, more parking and safer crosswalks.
Alice Gomez who's lived in the westside for decades, said she's looking forward to see how the improvements will impact the area that's home to local businesses and growing.
'New houses are being built in this area now and new people are moving in,' Gomez said.
Southwest Boulevard has been known for street races. The city hopes the traffic plans, like reducing the number of lanes, will be a more permanent solution to deter reckless driving and bring in more people to see the culture and pride of the boulevard.
'It's going to look nice for the neighborhood so we can be proud of that,' Gomez said.
The goal is to have phase one complete by the World Cup.
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'This is an important area to showcase for the world to see when they're here,' Rea added.
Part of the street improvements will make a three-lane section with a shared use path. That construction could start as soon as July.
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