The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas vowed to reopen the Central Avenue Bridge after hearing from local businesses and residents at a meeting last month.
The bridge, which connects Central Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas to the West Bottoms in Kansas City, Missouri, closed in February 2021 due to structural issues and was slated for possible demolition.
Mike Pearce, co-owner of Slap’s BBQ, said the bridge’s prolonged closure has left local businesses feeling cut off from customers on the Missouri side.
“What if 10 more people a day join us at Slap’s for lunch? You know, that's the difference between three or four employees a year and not," Pearce told KCUR’s Up To Date. "Some of the other businesses that may not do as much volume, they're gonna be hurt even worse by that."
Kansas State Rep. Pam Curtis (D-Kansas City, Kansas) is behind a petition to save the Central Avenue Bridge. Curtis said paying for the repairs will require cooperation between local, state and federal government entities.
“I think we need to talk about what the future holds and what we may be missing out on if we don't repair that bridge,” she said.
- Pam Curtis, Kansas State Representative (D-Kansas City, Kansas)
- Mike Pearce, Slap’s BBQ co-owner
