Platte County Update

BARRY ROAD, WEST

Potomac to Chariton

12-15-08

Scope of Work:

Platte County is working with the City of Kansas City Missouri to design and construct Barry Road from Potomac to Chariton based on an ultimate three lane road with bike lanes but only build a 28 foot wide portion of the roadway with two 14 foot lanes. This improvement will still provide 2 travel lanes, curbs, storm sewers, sidewalks, streetlights and vertical safety improvements. These improvements should work with the existing budget.

In the future when traffic demands increase and funds are identified for construction the remaining portion of the three lane roadway may be completed by the city of Kansas City.

Design:

SKW (Shafer, Kline, and Warren) has requested, prior to issuance of final drawings, that PCPW verify all Right of Way and Easements are acceptable to the property owners. If any changes are necessary, they will make amendments and then issue the final drawings. PCPW has agreed to this request.

Property Acquisition:

PAR Electric has made contact with approximately half of the property owners to discuss R/W and Easement requirements. One owner at the west end of the project has signed the Temporary Easement affecting their property. PCPW is working on responding to questions that have been raised during meetings between the property owners and PAR Electric. Par Electric is continuing to make initial contact with the other half of the property owners.

Utility Relocation:

All utilities along the road that will conflict with the improvement will need to be relocated. Platte County is coordinating with the utilities to address any conflicts. The utility relocation schedule is contingent upon the individual utility companies schedule and coordination of relocation activities in the Barry Road improvement phases occurring to the east of this project. All relocations not done prior to the start of the project will begin Summer 2009 in coordination with construction.

Platte County will continue holding coordination meetings with all the utility companies, Kansas City and the design engineer (SKW).

KCP&L is working towards finalizing drawing s for their work and will be requesting a plan review meeting yet this month. MGE and AT&T have completed their relocation design work. Work for these contractors can begin once the Right of Way acquisition is complete.

PCPW, KCMO, and SKW will be meeting again in January 2009 to continue the project coordination process.

Bidding:

Platte County’s goal is to bid the project in 2008, pending successful design, property acquisition and utility relocations.

Construction:

Construction will occur after property acquisition, utility relocation and bidding is complete. Currently anticipate starting Phase I Construction Summer 2009.

Questions regarding this project can be directed to:

Platte County Department of Public Works at (816) 858-2223 or,

Bob Heim, Project Manager at bheim@co.platte.mo.us

Barry Road West

Received this update from Bob Heim @ Platte County regarding their piece of Barry Road improvements west of Potomac Ave.

PROGRESS UPDATE

BARRY ROAD, WEST

Potomac to Chariton

11-14-08

Scope of Work:

Platte County is working with the City of Kansas City Missouri to design and construct Barry Road from Potomac to Chariton based on an ultimate three lane road with bike lanes but only build a 28 foot wide portion of the roadway with two 14 foot lanes. This improvement will still provide 2 travel lanes, curbs, storm sewers, sidewalks, streetlights and vertical safety improvements. These improvements should work with the existing budget.

In the future when traffic demands increase and funds are identified for construction the remaining portion of the three lane roadway may be completed by the city of Kansas City.

Design:

SKW (Shafer, Kline, and Warren) has requested, prior to issuance of final drawings, that PCPW verify all Right of Way and Easements are acceptable to the property owners. If any changes are necessary, they will make amendments and then issue the final drawings. PCPW has agreed to this request.

Property Acquisition:

All thirty property appraisals have been completed and delivered to PCPW. All property files and appraisals have been forwarded to the right of way agent contracted by PCPW. The agent anticipates beginning meetings with the individual property owners the week of November 17, 2008.

Utility Relocation:

All utilities along the road that will conflict with the improvement will need to be relocated. Platte County is coordinating with the utilities to address any conflicts. The utility relocation schedule is contingent upon the individual utility companies schedule and coordination of relocation activities in the Barry Road improvement phases occurring to the east of this project. Gas line and cable relocation may begin as early as Fall 2008 depending on these utilities work load. All other relocation should begin Summer 2009 in coordination with construction.

Platte County will continue holding coordination meetings with all the utility companies, Kansas City and the design engineer (SKW).

MGE and AT&T have completed their relocation design work. Work for these contractors can begin once the Right of Way acquisition is complete.

PCPW, KCMO, and SKW met on November 7, 2008 to continue discussing coordination of water and sewer installation and/or relocation.

Bidding:

Platte County’s goal is to bid the project in 2008, pending successful design, property acquisition and utility relocations.

Construction:

Construction will occur after property acquisition, utility relocation and bidding is complete. Currently anticipate starting Phase I Construction Summer 2009.

Questions regarding this project can be directed to:

Platte County Department of Public Works at (816) 858-2223 or,

Bob Heim, Project Manager at bheim@co.platte.mo.us

Update

I've been out of town and experienced computer problems this week, thus no posts.

Nov 4th Meeting

WL Mayor Bos and others met with KCMO in continuing discussions with KCMO regarding the Barry Road project. No significant progress to report. Current projection for the relocation of ATT lines is February. Bos mentioned the winning contractor has agreed to start the project, west to east. Platte County has shown interest in taking possession of the "walking bridge" over the lake, it will have to be removed as part of the construction project.

Amity Park

Not exactly related to BRB, but what the heck. In my travels on the "detour" I have noticed increased use in the park, at least the numbers of cars parked there. I haven't taken the tour yet, have you? What do you think?

86th or 68th?

Alert observer noted my mistake in previous post...thanks. Of course it was 86th Terrace. One of the bewildering things we experienced when we moved from Brookside to the Northland was the adventure of finding our way around. For the most part, mid-town is laid out fairly square with blocks ascending as you go south towards JOCO. Once we crossed the river we had to deal with the NW situation and of course the curving streets of WL. No matter, throw in the "detour" because of the BRB and you find out who really wants to find you!

Accident, No Treat

Coming home last night at 6:30 and came upon an accident on Amity by 68th Terrace. Looked like three vehicles, two with a fair amount of damage. Could have been a double rear end as the third car was waiting to turn on to 68th. Traffic at 5:45 when I came through the first time was heavy and fast, nobody going 25 for sure. Oh well, life in the fast lane!

The Funkster in a Bunkster

Today's KC Star indicates the Funk has taken refuge at his home office to evade the new rule aimed at keeping his wife Gloria out of City Hall. Additionally his honor has been busy trying to get light rail on track. BRB? I don't think it is on the Funks top 10/50/100 or 500 Things To Do List. Oh well, November 2010 isn't all that far off, is it?

More Poles

Like magic, many of the poles were planted yesterday on Amity. I assume they were placed in the right of way, wow, a lot further into the field than I thought.

Poles, Update

Apparently the utility poles on the east side of Amity in the vicinity of the "bean field" are being moved to the west side of Amity as part for the prep for Barry Road. The new intersection of Amity/Barry/Eastside Drive will have the roads meet perpendicular to each other as opposed to the current offset of the roads.

Redux

The barricade at Amity and Barry once again has been battered. I guess it is possible it was the wind on Sunday afternoon, but judging by what is left of the barricade, there is a vehicle somewhere in need of a body shop.

Emergency Response

KCMO Fire responded to a request for help at WL yesterday afternoon. Not sure how they got to Potomac Ave, but for sure it wasn't via the BRB. Precious minutes lost, navigating the BRB detour.

No Nucs!

In addition to saving you from disaster on the BRB, Ed Ford is making you safe from nucs as well...thus his lone Council vote against the proposal for the plant in south KC. He might be better suited for duty in San Francisco where the citizens next week will vote on a referendum to allow prostitution...wonder how Ed would vote on that one?

Poles

Naw, not speaking about the citizens of Poland, I talking about the new utility poles laying alongside Amity on the property fondly referred to as the "bean field". Where are they going?

Snails Pace

A contingent from WL met with KCMO Public Works folks on the 21st, discussion centered mainly on movement/consolidation of water lines on Barry Road project. Another meeting scheduled for Nov 4th after the bids have been awarded...should be interesting. In the meantime progress @ Park Hill is best described as Snails Pace. Should be a fascinating winter.

Progress Report from Platte County

Although info from KCMO is scant, Platte Cty continues to plug along. A report was recently sent by Bob Heim (bheim@co.platte.mo.us) regarding an update. This is the piece of Barry Road from Potomac west to Chariton. Info includes, " The typical road section design is now complete and final construction drawings are expected to be complete by the end of October 2008 and "Twenty-five of the thirty property appraisals have been completed and the Right of Way/easement packages are being assembled by PCPW. Initial meetings with the property owners are expected to begin in October 2008." " MGE and AT&T have completed their relocation design work. Work for these contractors can begin once the Right of Way acquisition is complete.

Construction will occur after property acquisition, utility relocation and bidding is complete. Currently anticipate starting Phase I Construction Summer 2009.

Bake Sale

Intriguing idea borrowed from my WL blog...how about a bake sale to raise funds for the BRB?

Slip and Slide

Hard to think about winter but...
What happens on the "unofficial" detour route (Crawford/Beech/Wayland, etc) when we have a snow/ice event? How quickly/slowly does KCMO service the roads in Wildwood? Have you ever driven a bumper car at an amusement park?

What is the cost of a temporary bridge?

It depends. Two of the cost estimates submitted by Ed Ford to Jerry Bos include cost of a "temporary bridge". Option 2C quotes $212,000, Option 3, $500,000.

Cones

Busted barricade replaced yesterday with cones, maybe the barricade budget is used up?

Update: Today @ 8:30 the above was correct, by 10AM the cones had been replaced by a barricade.

Busted!

Motorists still having problems navigating the BRB detour...hard to say what caused this crash at the barricade on the east end of the closure (Amity/Barry). Early on, the barricade at the west end (Beech/Barry) met the same demise. Wonder how the "soldiers" along Barry @ Park Hill are going to fare?

Just in case

One of the interesting line items in the $1.6 million fix proposed by Ford is this:

40% Contingency

It would be hard not to come in "on budget" with a slush factor like that, wouldn't it?

Dear Mayor Bos

Obtained a copy of a letter from KCMO Councilman Ed Ford to WL Mayor Jerry Bos, dated September 30. I'll give you excerpts over the next couple of days.

"The Public Works and CIMO Departments of Kansas City, Missouri have hired an engineer to evaluate the situation and see if there is a way of decreasing the road closure time period. We were initially hoping that a new deck could be constructed on top of the existing bridge footings. After close inspection, large holes were found in the structure that compromised their integrity"

(I am going to request a copy of the report to explore further the "large holes".)

Ford outlines three options with costs:
Option 1 - Do Nothing, cost $5,000 for additional signage
Option 2 - Repair the existing Bridge
A. Remove existing deck & replace with metal pan filled with asphalt, $101,675
B. Remove existing deck & replace with metal deck, $86,810
C. Replace with Temporary Bridge, $606,594
He has crossed out A & B in his letter because of the inspection comments
Option 3 - Maintain traffic full-time, $1,600,000

Option 3 is where Ford suggested WL participation @ $500,000.

Looks like Ford is carrying the water on this one, apparently it is politically too sensitive for Johnson...when is Johnson up for reelection, voters in Wildwood?

New Update

You may not check my blog on Weatherby Lake if you are not a resident. I just posted a note from Tuesday's Board of Aldermen meeting regarding the BRB.
http://weatherbylakeasiseeit.blogspot.com/

$800,000

According to WL Mayor Jerry Bos, that is the amount KCMO has in the bank as part of the agreement to turn over the BRB from state control to KCMO. When questioned about incentives being built into the contract for the construction of the new BRB (similar to Minneapolis) Bos has been told there is "no money" KCMO Public Works maintains work will begin on the replacement of the bridge in January and be completed in twelve months. Right.

By the way, plans indicate the elevation of the new bridge will be 13 feet above the current elevation.

Ford/Johnson No Shows for Meeting

Just finished a discussion with Mayor Jerry Bos of Weatherby Lake. KCMO Councilmen Ed Ford and Russ Johnson will not attend the WL Board of Aldermen meeting, tomorrow night, Tuesday the 7th. The exact reasons are unclear, other than it was mutual. Mr Ford was interested in proposing a $1.6 million fix for the BRB, $550,000 to come from WL. Another proposal was/is to use Army type bridging for a temporary fix. Unclear if either proposal or others are on the table. At least not for tomorrow night.

T-Boned

No not the steak, the black car half across the sidewalk and hanging out on the street on one of the unofficial detour routes(NW 86 Terr, just east of Wayland). The car was there early Saturday morning and remained in the late afternoon. HG mentioned it would be a good blog pic...when I went through again around 8:15 PM it was gone. Was there an accident there? Don't know, but one thing for sure it was T-Boned.

Upon further review...

Checked the agenda for the WL Board of Aldermen meeting next Tuesday. The agenda does not include Messrs Ford and Johnson, yet. I will post once confirmed. Not sure if it is WL or the Councilmen who are suddenly dragging their feet. Stay tuned.

More Speed

Traffic enforcement yesterday on Wayland in the AM, must not have read the blog before heading out.

No Need For Speed

Reports of traffic enforcement (read speed trap) on 87th Terrace on Monday. KCMO officer with handheld "shooting" motorists as they approach and then motioning over the offending criminals. The speed limit is 25 MPH. This should be easy for Weatherby Lakeans, 25 is the law enforced in WL. So for those taking the "shortcut", take a deep breath, slow down, enjoy the ride. I'm sure those who live in Wildwood are counting the days (hate to say years) until they can get their quiet neighborhood back.

You Think You Have Problems Now...

If you don't like the detour caused by the closing of the BRB now, wait (we can only hope) until construction actually starts. Discussion among friends has us wondering about the projected construction plan which includes Amity. Would it be possible Amity could be closed at the same time the BRB is? Nah...right? Do the plans tend to the two aging bridges on Amity? Yikes, maybe it is better not to think about it. Maybe these questions would be good to pose to Mr Johnson and Mr Ford when they appear at Weatherby Lake City Hall on the 7th.

Bridge Inspection Report

Still waiting on KCMO Public Works to release the inspection report on the BRB done in May. The previous report, two years ago by MODOT, makes you wonder why something wasn't done on a bridge that clearly was going down hill...and makes me wonder what happened to the money the State gave KCMO when they turned to bridge over to KCMO. Might be a good question to ask Messrs Funkhouser, Ford and Johnson.


Previous comment mentioned the fact there are no performance incentives in the piece of Barry that includes the BRB. Here is what happens when contractors are incented to perform...they do. The new I-35 bridge in Minneapolis.

Johnson to join Ford

Apparently KCMO Councilman Russ Johnson will join Ed Ford in attending the next Weatherby Lake Board of Alderman meeting on October 7th. Should be very interesting, to say the least. I believe this will be the first Northland public meeting the two have attended since the BRB fiasco began. I would think they understand the sentiments of those affected by the closure, so this wouldn't be a fact finding appearance. Could they have a more satisfactory answer than the stock PR releases by KCMO Public Works? We shall see.

One Month

If you are counting (I am) since the hoopla surrounding the BRB press conference. Indignant politicians (Funkhouser & Bos), wannabe's (Dusenberry & Quitmeier) and MAST Ambulance Director Hooten all deplored the closing of the bridge. Other than the press conference itself, media coverage has been meager (Vasto @ the Luminary is the exception).

In the meantime we, you and me, are left holding the bag. Response times to our residences by Police, Fire, Ambulance lengthened, neighborhoods made a little more dangerous due to change in traffic patterns, and the daily inconvenience/irritation of rerouting. Do you ever come down Barry going west, see the closed bridge, and give a sigh as you are forced to turn on to Amity? I do.

Touching Base

I sent requests for updates on progress to Ford, Johnson and Funkhouser earlier this week. Mr Ford's aide responded (previous post), that is it so far. With everything going on in City Hall in KCMO it will be very easy to defer attention to the BRB. The bid process is moving, albeit slowly...I don't think one could categorize it as progress. A phone call or email (contacts in previous posts) is an easy way to let the elected officials know how important it is to you. WL folks, same thing, ask your alderman and mayor about the current status.

Ford to appear

Lisa Minardi, aide to Councilman Ed Ford has indicated Mr Ford has requested to be on the Agenda of the Weatherby Lake monthly Board of Alderman meeting on Tuesday, October 7th. I'll confirm and post. The meeting is held at WL City Hall @ 7PM.

A Thousand Hits

Not counting the "soldiers" that got nailed by motorists on the BRB prior to closing.

That's how many hits in about six weeks this blog has received...surprising for a singular theme blog like this. Pressure on the politicians will be the only way this situation can change. What have you done to help?

Weary

Talking with a "volleyball mom" (is that our equivalent of a hockey mom?) Friday night. She lives at the very end of Wildwood West. I asked her how the BRB closing has affected her. Got that pained look on her face as she said she felt "weary". Are you there yet?

Another One Bites the Dust

Received a report from a devoted blogite of a bridge closing on Childress...will investigate and post today.

UPDATE...I did a site inspection and indeed the road had been closed due to a replacement of stormwater culvert underneath the road. Good news it is open today, road patched, good as new. Of course we are talking about Platte County Roads vs our friends at KCMO.

Bid Activity

See Anon comment on previous post. Moving forward, right? In the meantime construction activity at the Park Hill site is impressive...for its lack of activity. A preview of what is to come...slow mo, with little to no silt control.

Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - More than a year after a key Minneapolis bridge collapsed and killed 13 people, state troopers prepared to lead motorists in a slow procession Thursday morning across the new span that reconnects Interstate 35W over the Mississippi River.
Crews were scheduled to remove barricades that have stood since the old bridge fell Aug. 1, 2007, reopening a major artery leading in and out of Minneapolis that carried 140,000 trips a day.


Might be a great time to drop a note or call the Funk, Ed and Russ regarding our bridge. Let them know we are still here...and waiting.

Mayor Mark FunkhouserCity Hall, 29th floor • 414 E. 12th St. • Kansas City, MO 64106 • Phone: (816) 513-3500 • Fax: (816) 513-3518 • E-mail: mayor@kcmo.org


Russ Johnson, 2nd District Councilman
Traci Gleason, assistant513-1622traci_gleason@kcmo.org
Ed Ford, 2nd District At Large Councilman
Lisa Minardi, assistant513-1601lisa_minardi@kcmo.org

A Big Number

Average daily cars crossing bridge=6000 (per KCMO)
x 365x 2.5x 1 (mile detour from Potomac to Amity,Barry, your results may vary, 2.5 yrs for new bridge)
Divided by 20 (swag for average mpg of vehicles)
x$ 3.50 a gallon

$958,125...the conservative estimate of how much the detour will cost motorists. On the bright side, some of that will be going to your favorite governmental entity in the form of gas taxes...half full...right?

Ask and you shall receive

Dennis Gagnon, Public Information Officer, KCMO Public Works Department has provided their information on file regarding traffic on the BRB, prior to its demise. 6000 vehicles a day.

Infrastructure

"As many have pointed out, the reason elected officials tend to neglect infrastructure project issues, like reinforcing levees in New Orleans and bridges in Minneapolis, is that there's no glory when a bridge doesn't collapse. There are no round-the-clock news specials when the levees hold. You can't even name an overpass retrofitting project after yourself -- it just looks too silly. But everyone's taxes go up to pay for the reinforcements."



Ann Coulter

We'll get back to you

Eventually, maybe. I have two requests into KCMO Public Works, one for the current inspection report of the BRB and the actual traffic count pre-closing. Received responses promising both. I'm still waiting. Tomorrow marks two weeks the BRB is closed. The politicians got their face time in front of the cameras, pounded on the dais how awful the BRB situation is, and...not a whisper more.

To Build a Bridge

Mayor Funkhouser cited the building of the Sprint Center and the rebuilding of the I-35 Bridge in MN as examples of projects that took less time than the closure of the BRB is guesstimated. FYI, the bridge in Minneapolis collapsed on Aug 1st, 2007. It will be completed soon, see latest from today's Minneapolis StarTribune.

"MINNEAPOLIS - Construction crews working on the new Interstate 35W bridge said Saturday that the bridge could be completed even earlier than expected.
Flatiron Construction officials say that the bridge could be complete in as early as 10 days and that workers are putting the final touches on the new bridge."

It should be noted, healthy performance incentives are in place to complete the project which originally had a completion date of 24 December, 2008.

Oops

Had friends from Liberty over this afternoon, I forgot to tell them about the BRB. One went around the Lake, the other through Wildwood. Both asked, "What happened?" I started with the pot holes this spring on the BRB, then the patching, then the plates, then the soldiers, then the barricades...welcome to the BarryRoadBrouhaha! Their eyes were glazed over. Then the frosting on the cake...two and half years! I could tell they were being polite, nodding with a serious look. Later on in the afternoon I sent them on their way with the secret detour route...I could tell they felt privileged.

Options?

Between emails from KCMO officials and reports from various individuals, KCMO seems to be weighing options to remedy the BRB besides us waiting out 2 and a half years. Hard to get a sense if they are serious or just trying to get us off their backs. To be sure...the heat applied by you/us in the affected area has been felt by politicians and bureaucrats alike. Today marks one week since the press conference conducted by Funkhouser/Bos et al. The Funk put his "flag in the ground" likening the bridge situation here to the Minnesota collapse and bridge rebuilding" One week down, 51 to go?

I have requested a report from KCMO Public Works regarding the traffic count for the BRB. The count as quoted by an assortment individuals varies wildly, I'll pass along as soon as I get it.

KC Star

I looked closely at today's print version of the Star, didn't see anything on yesterday's press conference, however there is an online article if you want to check.
http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/773011.html

"That re-design process usually takes three to five years to complete,” he said. “We were able to complete it in two years. When re-designing, you are dealing with a number of factors, including land acquisition, utility relocation and soil quality. It is more than just saying, ‘the road needs to go from here to there, let’s bid it’.” Sean DeMory, Capital Improvements Management Office (CIMO). Where does Funkhouser need to turn up the heat? Seems like his flamethrower can be aimed in a number of directions.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

And a great day for a photo op, especially if you are a politician. Mayor Funkhouser hosted a press conference today regarding the Barry Road Bridge, his second visit to the site visit within two weeks. Abundant news coverage by the local TV networks, radio and press. Many elected officials. One TV station already had a snippet on the air @ 11AM.

Funkhouser said all the right things for the crowd of about 75 folks. “This problem had been developing for years and years” “Two and a half years to replace the bridge is too long” “We want to be a good neighbor” “Routing (traffic) through a residential area is not good” We need to pay attention…city staff should talk and listen”

Julie Floyd of the Coalition to Fix Barry Road mentioned the 4 plus years the Coalition has been toiling to get the improvements of Barry Road in place. A great quote…”The road that time has forgotten”.

WL Mayor Jerry Bos pointed out this was not a Weatherby Lake problem, cited the earnings tax and sales tax WL citizens pay to KCMO. Mentioned our relationship with KCMO because of water and sewer.

Doug Hooten of MAST, Kathy Dusenberry and Bill Quitmeier, candidates for Platte County Commisioner all made brief remarks, nothing earth shattering.

Q & A from those in the crowd
“What is a realistic timeframe for the bridge replacement?” Funkhouser mentioned the I-35 bridge in MN…if they could do it in a year we could do this too.

“What happened to the payment from the State to KCMO when the bridge was deeded to KCMO. Wasn’t this for replacement of the bridge?” Funkhouser, “I know nothing.

Curiously AWOL. Councilmen Johnson and Ford. Of course City Manager Cauthen, or any other KCMO bureaucrat. County Commissioners Plunkett, Pryor and Knight. Possibly heading out early for a long weekend on the Lake?

So, the Funk has put, as he says, “the flag in the ground”. For those of you who use Outlook/Outlook Express make a date with me on the BRB for one year from today, 2009. Ribbon cutting?

Funkhouser Returns to BRB

KC Mayor Funkhouser is holding a press conference tomorrow (Friday) at the BRB. Not known what he will say or do...we will have to wait and see. Thanks to Anonymous for the heads up. Weatherby Lake Mayor Bos will also be in attendance. I hope to have an update tomorrow.

MIA

Platte County Commissioners have largely been missing in action regarding BRB. A few comments in the news, nothing earthshaking, certainly nothing publicly that shows they are out front on the bridge issue. Who should be leading the charge? Betty Knight, Tom Pryor, Jim Plunkett? Answer=all three. Betty Knight is the Presiding Commissioner and the titular head of county government. Although the bridge is "owned" by KCMO, it is in Platte County and therefore affects citizens (and voters) of Platte County. Jim Plunkett is Commissioner for District 2 which boundary includes Barry Road and the bridge. Those of you who live in Weatherby Lake are in District 1 which is represented by Tom Pryor. The phone number for the County Admin office is 858-3334. I feel sure Betty, Jim and Tom would love to hear your feedback concerning the BRB.

Barry Road West

Not to distract you from the BRB, but there is lots of action on the Barry Road corridor including the piece west of Potomac that will be managed by Platte County...fyi

You can double click on the pic to enlarge.

KCMO Talks Back

I received an email response to a BRB question I posed to Sean Demory, of KCMO.

"The bridge deck is structurally unsound, which is why the bridge was reduced to one lane. Drivers didn't heed the temporary fix of lane reduction, and large vehicles drove on the bridge despite signs and detours, which created an active hazard to drivers.Our team is looking into a range of options to resolve this in the swiftest possible manner. Thanks for your continued interest, and feel free to contact me if you have any additional questions".

Best,
Sean Demory
Public Relations/CommunicationsCapital Improvements Management Office

MoDOT Bridge Inspections

The BRB is no longer inspected by MoDot since the bridge was deeded to KCMO (per MoDot). KCMO conducts their own inspections...could it be they use the same guidelines?

This page was last modified 11:34, 26 December 2007.
Category:772 Bridge Inspections
From Engineering Policy Guide

All span type and culvert type bridges over 20 feet in length shall be inspected every two years. The
following bridges will be inspected annually:
1. Structures in poor or worse condition (condition 4 rating or less) for items 58, 59, 60, or 62 on the bridge inspection rating form.
2. Structures with timber structural members (sub-structural, super-structural, or decks) that are not included in the other criteria.
The bridge inspection frequency for a particular structure can be set at time intervals ranging from monthly to every six months if the bridge inspection staff feel that additional monitoring of the structure is required to insure the safety of the traveling public.
District's 4, 6, and 8 have personnel in the districts to conduct these inspections. The remaining districts will be inspected by Maintenance Division Bridge Maintenance personnel, with the assistance of district personnel knowledgeable in maintenance and bridges. Bridge-like structures less than 20 ft. - 00 in. shall be the responsibility of the district to inspect and maintain. Maintenance charges for these structures shall be charged to the roadway.
Bridges jointly maintained with neighboring states shall be inspected in accordance with the "Maintenance agreements" in effect. The inspection will be done by representatives from Missouri (from both the district and Central Office, Maintenance Division, Bridge Maintenance Section) and representatives from the neighboring state.
The district will inspect any affected structures following any unusual occurrence such as fire, flood, overloading, collision, or damage of any type. Any damage occurring to a bridge superstructure or subsbstructure shall immediately be reported to the Maintenance Division. On evenings, weekends and holidays the State Bridge Maintenance Engineer shall be contacted when a bridge emergency occurs.
The guidelines set forth in the Bridge Inspection Rating shall be used when assigning rating and appraisal values to the corresponding items for bridges and culverts. The inspections shall address the items on the "Bridge Inspection Reports" and "Culverts Inspection Reports", generated by TMS. All inspections shall be thorough and complete so that all needed maintenance and repair work may be identified. The individual in charge of the inspection shall meet the qualifications spelled out in the National Bridge Inspection Standards.
Fracture critical, in-depth, underwater, and other special inspections shall be identified and noted on the "Bridge Inspection Reports." Central Office, Bridge Maintenance Section inspection crews shall be responsible for performing these inspections within the specified time interval. Central Office bridge maintenance personnel will perform quality assurance inspections on an annual basis.

Retrieved from "http://epg.modot.mo.gov/index.php?title=Category:772_Bridge_Inspections"
Page 1 of 1

Category:772 Bridge Inspections - Engineering Policy Guide
8/25/2008
http://epg.modot.mo.gov/index.php?title=Category:772_Bridge_Inspections

My favorite KCMO Councilman Ed Ford quotes

"In a perfect world, Weatherby Lake would be paying for (the repair) since they're the ones who use it." Ed Ford, Parkville Luminary, August 22

No comments about his constituents/voters/taxpayers who live in WildWood and WildWood West. I guess he would rather make this a Weatherby Lake issue, conveniently, because WL residents are not KCMO voters. Bill Quitmeier, Democratic candidate for Platte County Commissioner, makes a good point, a number of Weatherby Lake folks pay earnings tax to KCMO.

"The immediate concern is that the bridge is literally caving in" Ed Ford, Parkville Luminary, August 15.

Really? So we have been travelling on a bridge for months (years?) that is caving in? I understand the appearance and the potholes. You would think they would produce a report that substantiates the "caving in". More importantly, this isn't something that just happened now, it has been ongoing. Why didn't KCMO do something? Why are the politicians carrying the ball on something Public Works should be engaged? Try and get a response from Department of Public Works head Stan Harris. Good luck. Who is the villain in this story?

"Heavier trucks are really compromising the safety of the bridge...We know overweight trucks are still using it." Ed Ford, Parkville Luminary, August 15.

Ok, so many of you use the BRB daily, if not a number of times a day. How many times have you seen any kind of law enforcement patrolling or conducting surveillance of the bridge? For me twice, and that was well into the cone fiasco and days before the bridge was closed. Is weight limit enforcement on bridges a top priority for KCMO? Nah. Check out the bridge on Amity between 86th Terrace and 87 Terrace. Violations every day.

"We'd hate to have an overweight truck cross the bridge, then have a school bus try and cross and have it cave in...we'd hate to have it cave in on anybody." Ed Ford, Parkville Luminary, August 15

Nothing like a good visual to spice up a story. It was for children, thank goodness.

No Kidding

KCMO Streets added new signage this past Friday to commemorate the first week of the bridge closing. This sign added near Potomac and Barry. Nice touch.

Pity the poor folks who have rented the WL Community Center for parties. Yesterday detour route of choice? Home made signs guiding the traffic through Wildwood...of course.

See tomorrow's post regarding KCMO Councilman Ed Ford. In the meantime, take a look at yesterday's comments by WildWood Mike. Food for thought.

"Afraid to even walk his dog across it"

Quote from today's KC Star, page B2, The Watchdog Column entitiled "While the bridge is closed, use another road" (duh?). The Dog gives Weatherby Lake resident Pat Imperale's version of the ills and danger of the BRB.

The Dog repeats KCMO blather about the detour route "Missouri 152 by way of North Amity Avenue or Northwest Hampton Road". As astute readers of this blog know and experience, Wildwood via Crawford/Beech/NW87th Terrace and NW 86th Terrace are the portals for most local traffic seeking a detour route.

Crash Course

This comes via a high school student, so, as always, your results may vary. Announcements at the high school yesterday came with a note of caution about the Barry Road Bridge detour. Apparently a student was involved in an accident in Wildwood where a vehicle was backing out of a drive. They asked students who drive in the neighborhood to use caution. Good advice.

Us adults should heed our own advice. On the way back from PHHS yesterday evening I followed a woman in a Honda minivan, in Wildwood, obviously lost. I could see her in her side mirror, talking on her cell phone, "You want me to turn right on Wayland?"...as she really wasn't watching the approaching intersection.

We have a student driver in our house and the unofficial official detour through Wildwood is proving to be a good test of skill, judgement and patience for our new driver. We'll keep our eyes on the road and brakes at the ready. We know they don't call it Wild Wood for nothing!

911

Attended an Ambulance District for South Platte meeting last night. For my friends in Wildwood this pertains to cities around you but not KCMO. However, information at the meeting does affect all of us because MAST (Metropolitan Ambulance Services Trust) provides ambulance service for KCMO as well as the South Platte Ambulance District. Jason White, a Director for MAST, gave an update to the District on response times for calls. He stated the bridge closure on Barry Road is a "significant issue", with his estimate of 10 calls for assistance per week with MAST ambulances traversing the bridge. In his words, Barry Road is a "major east/west artery" and they are currently trying to determine best alternate routes, which in some cases can be as much as three miles.

I wonder if KCMO Councilman Johnson shares your "frustration" with the prospect of lengthened response times for MAST, Fire and Police?

Better Late Than Never, Not Really

The KC Star finally did an article on the Barry Road Bridge, aka, Rush Creek Bridge, in today's edition of the Platte County Neighborhood News (page 1). If you don't subscribe to the Star I wouldn't run out and buy one to read the article. Just a rehash of what has been on the TV news and in print (Luminary) elsewhere. Reporter Mike Rice cites the "dangerous and dilapidated Rush Creek Bridge". The only elected official he quotes is KCMO 2nd district Councilman Russ Johnson who says "he too was frustrated that the project is taking so long". (What is he going to say 2 and a half years from now when the project is still looking for the finish line?) Speaking of a slow crawl, I am sure you notice the mess (read Barry Road) in front of the High School. The current completion date is set for April, 2009.

Johnson's solution is to "urge the city manager and his staff...to move construction along as quickly as possible". Now that is a man of action! To borrow an O'Reilly phrase..who is looking out for you? So far neither elected officials (KCMO/Weatherby Lake) nor bureaucrats are stepping up to the plate. They are willing to share your "frustration" and "inconvenience". Is that good enough for you?

In a Funk

The Mayor of Weatherby Lake, Jerry Bos and Mayor Funkhouser met midday on the Barry Road Bridge last Saturday. I think it is safe to say the bridge is going to remain closed, at least from their point of view. Apparently the Funk mentioned the possibility of the winning contractor (bids won't be awarded for at least two months) could decide to begin work on this end of the project rather than the east end. Don't hold your breath.

NEXT?

I’m sure on your new commute route via Amity Road you have crossed this bridge right? You might not have noticed it with the overgrowth of vegetation, but it is there, next to the Brittany Woodcastle entrance (86th street). It appears to be an old concrete bridge, I didn’t go down into the ditch/stream to look further. As you recall from previous posts and TV news pieces, the Barry Road Bridge was closed due to overweight loads on the bridge. The Barry Road Bridge is posted for 15 tons…Amity is 13 tons. Could this be the next target for Councilmen Ford and Johnson and the KCMO Department of Public Works?

How was the first full day of the commute via the official unofficial detour through Wildwood? Comments?

More contacts to call-KCMO Dept Of Public Works Press Release

Mr Demory, noted below, was interviewed by NBC and aired Friday evening.
Rush Creek Bridge on Barry Road closed
The City of Kansas City, Mo., Public Works Department will close the Rush Creek Bridge on Barry Road, west of North Amity Avenue, at 9 a.m. on Aug 15 due to damage from overweight loads.
A construction project to replace the Rush Creek Bridge and improve the section of Barry Road from North Conant to North Amity avenues is scheduled to bid this fall, with work beginning in the winter. The bridge will remain closed until the replacement and road improvement projects are complete in 2010.
Traffic on Barry Road will detour to Missouri Highway 152 via North Amity Avenue to the east and Northwest Hampton Road to the west.
For information about the Rush Creek Bridge and Barry Road construction project, contact Sean Demory, communications specialist for the Capital Improvements Management Office, (816) 513-0059.
Media inquiries and other requests for more information about this closure should be directed to Dennis Gagnon, public information officer for the Public Works Department, (816) 513-2659.

Parkville Luminary "Bridge to Nowhere"

Friday, August 15th edition, Front Page, Publisher Mark Vasto notes the closing of the bridge "with very little advance warning to residents or officials of Weatherby Lake". KC MO Councilman Ed Ford is quoted as saying he feared a head on collision on the bridge (a situation KC MO created) and there was too much weight from construction traffic. "The immediate concern is that the bridge is literally caving in" Ford said. The full article can be found at various outlets in Parkville.

Councilman Russ Johnson is on the same page. His August 14th press release mentions "damage caused by overweight loads on the bridge". Makes you wonder, if they know what caused the damage, why didn't they do something about it? I traveled the BRB daily since 1999 and have not seen any law enforcement monitoring traffic on the bridge...until about 10 days ago when I saw a cement mixer pulled over on Potomac by an unmarked police van. I understand they were cited for exceeding the bridge weight limit and being over the max limit for the rating of the vehicle. I saw the van again the next day parked on Forest...waiting. Other than that...

Ford and Johnson know why the bridge is unsafe, I wonder if they know why overweight loads were allowed seemingly at will to cause the condition?

AWOL = KC Star. As of today's edition, nary a word about the BRB. Broadcast news has been on the story albeit a bit goofy, the Luminary beat the big guys to the punch. Kudos to Vasto.

The Latest Spin

Add another twist to the litany of excuses/reasons for the closing of the bridge. Yesterday Fox 4 had a number of features on the BRB, the one that I saw mentioned officials are saying "motorists failing to heed the speed limit caused the premature closing of the bridge." Add this to the list of "unsafe", "safety reasons", "safety concerns", "overweight traffic", "noise" as public officials scramble to justify the closure. If you get more than one official to respond you are likely to get a different answer to the question Why? Can you say public relations disaster? Wait until our unenlightened brothers and sisters encounter the barricades and detour signs today. As one of the Weatherby Lake aldermen put it, we will be "inconvenienced". I could think of other descriptions.

Statement from Councilman Johnson----------- Double Click on Text

Park Hill School District Email

The Park Hill School District received word that the bridge over Weatherby Lake on Barry Road is scheduled to close on Friday.
The city of Kansas City informed the district that the bridge will close for safety reasons, and they expect the closure to occur on Friday. They said traffic will be detoured to 152 Highway via Amity and Hampton roads. They plan to reopen it in 2010, once they have replaced the bridge and widened Barry Road.
The Park Hill School District anticipated that the bridge would close, so our bus routes do not use the bridge this year. Parents and students driving to school might want to leave more time to get through the detour.

Nicole Kirby
kirbyn@parkhill.k12.mo.us

Two and a half years...and counting

The Barry Road Bridge closes, for the next two and a half years, beginning this Friday, August 15th. Frustrated? Maybe you can find the answer here:

Weatherby Lake
Mayor Jerry Bos
746-6400
jbos@cityofweatherbylake-mo.gov

West Ward Aldermen
Mary Hoy 584-1365
Vic DeJong 587-4865

East Ward Aldermen
Tanya Finn 587-9957
Pat White 741-3100

KCMO
Russ Johnson, 2nd District Councilman
Traci Gleason, assistant
513-1622
traci_gleason@kcmo.org

Ed Ford, 2nd District At Large Councilman
Lisa Minardi, assistant
513-1601
lisa_minardi@kcmo.org

Stan Harris, Director of Public Works
513-2627

The BRB

Fellow BRBrs:
Weatherby Lake, Wildwood, Masters, Weatherby Highlands and all others who travel the Barry Road Bridge...we have a problem. But then I guess you already realize that. The BRB is only going to get worse, don't even want to think about winter traversing the BRB. Think long haul, we could be saddled with the current situation for a year...or more. We need to lean on our elected officials and bureaucrats to fix it...now. Your thoughts and connections needed. Comments?