Community members joined City officials and U.S. Department of Transportation representatives today during the formal dedication of the 20th Street Bridge over the Kansas City Southern Railroad. The overpass is the final project of five infrastructure improvements funded by the 2012 TIGER Discretionary Grant program offered by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The definition of the acronym, Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, helps to explain the program and its significance to Joplin following the May 2011 tornado.
With the TIGER grant providing 80% of the funding for these five projects, the City’s portion was 20%. Three of the projects submitted for the TIGER grant had been identified during the Capital Improvements Sales Tax (CIST) referendum process which voters approved in 2004 and renewed it in 2014. CIST revenues were used for the City’s 20% match portion of the construction and for the design and right- of- way costs.
“We were very fortunate to be a recipient of the TIGER grant funding offered by DOT,” said Joplin Mayor Mike Seibert. “We are grateful and thank DOT for their assistance. With this 80/20 grant, Joplin could rebuild some major corridors throughout the city and leverage local tax dollars in order to add the 20th Street Overpass project to the ten-year project list.”
A total of five projects were included in the $12 million DOT grant which was awarded in 2012.
Projects completed through the TIGER Grant improved road conditions while focusing on pedestrian and vehicular safety. Construction addressed additions and/or improvements to the sidewalks and crossings to meet or exceed the requirements set by the Americans With Disability Act (ADA), and widened roadways.
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In addition to the grade separation along 20th Street, the other four projects included in the grant were:
1. 20th Street Transit Pedestrian and Bicycle project which built sidewalks along with two trolley pull outs on East 20th Street from Range Line to Murphy Boulevard to improve safety for pedestrian traffic and trolley passengers;
2. Widening of Schifferdecker Avenue from 32nd Street to just south of 7th Street was completed to better manage large volumes of north/south traffic on Joplin’s western border, and also added pedestrian and bike paths along this corridor;
3. Widening of 26th Street from Maiden Lane to Schifferdecker provided for the addition of a middle turn lane, bike paths and sidewalks throughout this growing district of residential and some commercial;
4. Widening of Maiden Lane from 9th Street to 30th Street also increased safety for pedestrian and vehicular traffic by adding a middle turn lane, bike paths and sidewalks in a largely commercial area.
These five projects have been completed in just four years after receiving the grant in 2012. The 20th Street Transit Project was the initial development in 2013, and the overpass was the final improvement. It opened in September 2016 after closing 20th Street to through traffic since July 2015.
“It is great to have this bridge open and traffic flowing along this road once again,” said Seibert. “The overpass is a great improvement not only for our community, but also for public safety. Emergency vehicles can now easily navigate the east/west route in central Joplin without delays caused by passing trains. We appreciate the public’s patience during this past year of construction.”
The grade separation takes traffic over the Kansas City Southern Railroad track located on 20th Street, just east of Wisconsin Avenue, providing a safer and more efficient system for both vehicular traffic and railway use.
“To reduce delays and enhance safety for train operators and highway users, separating the grade on this roadway was necessary,” said Nick Heatherly, Director of Public Works. “The design not only helps to address these users, but also adds amenities for pedestrians and bicyclists traveling along this roadway.”
The railroad track is maintained by Kansas City Southern Railway with 15 trains passing through Joplin on this railway each day, with speeds up to 50 miles per hour. Projections show an increase of up to 29 trains per day on this rail within 20 years.
Contractor for the overpass project was APAC of Missouri, Inc., and total construction costs were $7.1 million.
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