Today, I wanted to post something that might interest some of you.

When the Main Street Extension of the KC Streetcar opened last fall, the attention turned to the shorter, but no less important, Riverfront Extension. Since then, construction wrapped up and testing began. The CPKC Pavilion was unveiled, got under construction, and seems to be past the halfway point in construction.

I happened to be down on the north side of Downtown on April 16th and was able to watch a little bit of the testing activity going on. Streetcar 804 was doing runs from 3rd and Grand to the new stop at Berkley Riverfront Park (located near the halfway point in the park near Two Birds One Stone and the Origin Hotel).

Per news reports, the extension will open sometime in May, just in time for the World Cup. With the Riverfront becoming a key part of the urban Kansas City experience, having the Streetcar connection open will make it feel seamlessly integrated into the River-to-Plaza corridor. This Streetcar extension will serve the growing number of Riverfront residents, visitors to the growing number of businesses down there, and KC Current fans attending games.

The Riverfront Extension cost $61 Million and was funded through a mixture of federal funds, PortKC contributions, and contributions by the Streetcar Authority and KCATA. It was built by Radmacher Brothers Excavation (RBE).

For your safety, remember to be aware of your surroundings when around Streetcar tracks, both as pedestrians and motorists. See Tracks? Think Train.

The video below includes video clips of the testing activity from Thursday, April 16th.

Riverfront Pedestrian Bridge

A few weeks back, the fences were peeled back on the Riverfront Pedestrian Bridge, which runs parallel to Grand from 2nd Street to where Grand turns into Berkley Parkway in front of Core Phase 2. From my walk on it, it’s a 5 minute walk from 2nd and Grand to Core Phase 2 and is the more direct pedestrian route than the existing Town of Kansas Bridge and Riverfront Trail that so many have utilized. The new bridge will open up in the coming weeks and, besides being a shortcut for pedestrians to get to and from Berkley Park, it offers a safer alternative than walking and biking on the shoulders of the Grand bridge (something that’s extremely dangerous now thanks to narrow clearances due to the Streetcar).

The bridge is being developed by a partnership of the City of Kansas City and the Streetcar Authority.

Check out the gallery below to see pictures from the bridge.