Kansas City, Missouri, made significant progress this month on its plans to build a park over Interstate 670 in the South Loop area of downtown. City leaders selected Clarkson Construction and JE Dunn as the general contractor and construction management team for the project.

The Missouri Department of Transportation committed $31.4 million to the project, bringing the city’s total investment to over $200 million. "We're being creative with it and making sure this project gets completed no matter what at this point," said KCMO City Manager Brian Platt. "There's no turning back. We’re doing all four sections. It breaks ground next year and we’re off to the races."

The park will span over five acres, covering I-670 from Wyandotte Street to Grand Boulevard, and include playgrounds and entertainment areas. "I'm really excited to see the South Loop project advance because I think downtown is in a huge need of more parks and more green space," said Peter Canesciali, president of the Downtown Neighborhood Association.

Despite the enthusiasm, Canesciali expressed concern about the potential impact on the KC Streetcar, which operates over I-670. "I want to make sure we're preserving the assets we have as well as building new ones," he added.

Platt noted that the project still faces several hurdles, including an environmental study and coordination with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. "To make sure what we’re doing isn’t going to interfere with interstate commerce and travel, environmental issues and all kinds of things," he said. The park is expected to break ground in early 2025, with completion projected to take several years.