AMERICA’S FIRST ENTERTAINMENT
DISTRICT OVER A RIVER

It’s a public crossing, a community center, a trailhead, and a full-on entertainment district — 40 feet over the water. Two, independent feasibility studies concluded its viable, it's a first, and it's going to be sensational!

SOMETIMES, IT'S ABOUT THE WAY

People have been building bridges to get to the other side since time immemorial.  We write songs about them.  We paint them.  We use them as a  metaphor -- and we love them. Yet until now, they've always been a means to an end, which for a bridge is . . . the other side.

The Rock Island Bridge can take you to the other side.  But this bridge is also the destination.

 

THE BACKSTORY 

For nearly a century the Rock Island Railroad played a central role in the Kansas City Stockyards District which ran along both sides of the Kansas (Kaw) River, and was the second-largest beef processing center in the world.  The Railroad's initial bridge over the Kansas River was swept away in the flood of 1901.

To replace it, the Railroad hired the American Bridge Company to design and build two 302 feet-long, Pennsylvania trusses and concrete foundations forty feet into the riverbed. The new bridge began service in 1905. In 1921, a third, shorter span was added to the eastern end when the US Army Corps widened the channel.

Following the devastation of the Flood of '51, the Corps hired L. G. Barcus Company of Kansas City, KS to install screw-lift gates capable of raising the three trusses six feet in advance of high waters. Barcus is now back on the job, using the same mechanisms to lift the bridge to its new permanent location above the height of the new levees, and installing the new steel and concrete decks and railings.

The City of Kansas City, Missouri purchased the bridge and its access easements in 1980 as part of the Kemper Arena parking expansion. Since that time, the majestic structure sat unused, its tracks long ago disconnected. Kansas City, Kansas took ownership of the bridge in 2022 to connect its emerging network of levee trails, and to activate the new Kansas Waterfront through this unique, public/private partnership.

IT’S TIME TO RECLAIM AMERICA’S HISTORIC BRIDGES, AND KANSAS CITY IS LEADING THE WAY

Great cities possess surprising and remarkable destinations that say something about who they are and from where they’ve come.

The San Antonio Riverwalk, the St. Louis City Museum, the Minneapolis Riverfront and New York City’s High Line . . . They were an unloved river, an abandoned shoe factory, a derelict lock and milling district, and an old railway line and all once forgotten relics. But with vision and calculated risk, people came together to transform these places into beloved destinations that now define their cities.

Appreciating the Kansas River’s recreational value, the West Bottoms’ gathering energy, and a growing demand for local, authentic and fun experiences, Flying Truss is reclaiming the historic Rock Island Railroad Bridge as America’s first trailhead and entertainment district over a river.

This 1905 bridge and this place along the Kansas-Missouri border was chosen to at long last embrace our metro’s history of railroads, big rivers, and big bridges, setting into motion what is becoming a vibrant, riverfront district.

“Bridging the rivers helped build the early Kansas City economy. But in the process, the railroad tracks cut us off from our waterfronts. This project reconnects us to the water.”

-DANIEL SERDA, Local Initiatives Support Corporation

NERD OUT ON THE NUMBERS

  • 1:  America’s 1st destination landmark bridge
  • 630':  Height of The Gateway Arch, making the RIB longer than the Arch is tall
  • 3:  The RIB’s number of trusses
  • 1905:  Year the RIB’s two original trusses were built
  • 1920:  Year the smaller, eastern truss was added
  • 100 Yards:  Length of EACH of the two original trusses
  • 4:  Number of heavy steel lift gates installed in the 1950 to elevate the trusses
  • 350 tons:  Weight of each of the two larger trusses
  • 620 yards:  Amount of concrete we're adding  (2,480,000 lbs)
  • 2,216 tons:  Total weight of the updated bridge (4,432,000 lbs)
  • 50:  Number of feet the RIB is west of the state line 
  • 2:  Number of states the project crosses into (entire bridge is in KS, but the eastern approach goes into MO)
  • 1:  Minutes it takes to walk from Hy-Vee Arena to RIB
  • 50:  Number of feet the upper deck is above the river
  • 3': How many feet the US Army Corps is raising the adjacent levees
  • 3' 5":  Amount we are raising the bridge (to remain above new levee height)
  • 130 Yards:  Width of the KS River
  • 55':  Widest spot on the bridge after the 13 ft cantilevers off of both sides are added
  • 2nd:  The truss on which the trailhead and entertainment district sits
  • 2:  Number of decks high
  • 85 Yards:  Length of the cantilevered, lower-deck
  • 13:  Feet each deck extends from both sides of the bridge
  • 30:  Feet that engineers determined that cantilevers could be extended in later phases
  • 3,160,000:  Pounds of moving weight that engineers determined the RIB can carry
  • $1:  Price the Unified Government paid Kansas City, MO for the bridge
Image

THE BACKSTORY 

For nearly a century the Rock Island Railroad played a central role in the Kansas City Stockyards District which ran along both sides of the Kansas (Kaw) River, and was the second-largest beef processing center in the world.  The Railroad's initial bridge over the Kansas River was swept away in the flood of 1901.

To replace it, the Railroad hired the American Bridge Company to design and build two 302 feet-long, Pennsylvania trusses and concrete foundations forty feet into the riverbed. The new bridge began service in 1905. In 1921, a third, shorter span was added to the eastern end when the US Army Corps widened the channel.

Following the devastation of the Flood of '51, the Corps hired L. G. Barcus Company of Kansas City, KS to install screw-lift gates capable of raising the three trusses six feet in advance of high waters. Barcus is now back on the job, using the same mechanisms to lift the bridge to its new permanent location above the height of the new levees, and installing the new steel and concrete decks and railings.

The City of Kansas City, Missouri purchased the bridge and its access easements in 1980 as part of the Kemper Arena parking expansion. Since that time, the majestic structure sat unused, its tracks long ago disconnected. Kansas City, Kansas took ownership of the bridge in 2022 to connect its emerging network of levee trails, and to activate the new Kansas Waterfront through this unique, public/private partnership.

IT’S TIME TO RECLAIM AMERICA’S HISTORIC BRIDGES, AND KANSAS CITY IS LEADING THE WAY

Great cities possess surprising and remarkable destinations that say something about who they are and from where they’ve come.

The San Antonio Riverwalk, the St. Louis City Museum, the Minneapolis Riverfront and New York City’s High Line . . . They were an unloved river, an abandoned shoe factory, a derelict lock and milling district, and an old railway line and all once forgotten relics. But with vision and calculated risk, people came together to transform these places into beloved destinations that now define their cities.

Appreciating the Kansas River’s recreational value, the West Bottoms’ gathering energy, and a growing demand for local, authentic and fun experiences, Flying Truss is reclaiming the historic Rock Island Railroad Bridge as America’s first trailhead and entertainment district over a river.

This 1905 bridge and this place along the Kansas-Missouri border was chosen to at long last embrace our metro’s history of railroads, big rivers, and big bridges, setting into motion what is becoming a vibrant, riverfront district.

“Bridging the rivers helped build the early Kansas City economy. But in the process, the railroad tracks cut us off from our waterfronts. This project reconnects us to the water.”

-DANIEL SERDA, Local Initiatives Support Corporation

NERD OUT ON THE NUMBERS

  • 1:  America’s 1st destination landmark bridge
  • 630':  Height of The Gateway Arch, making the RIB longer than the Arch is tall
  • 3:  The RIB’s number of trusses
  • 1905:  Year the RIB’s two original trusses were built
  • 1920:  Year the smaller, eastern truss was added
  • 100 Yards:  Length of EACH of the two original trusses
  • 4:  Number of heavy steel lift gates installed in the 1950 to elevate the trusses
  • 350 tons:  Weight of each of the two larger trusses
  • 620 yards:  Amount of concrete we're adding  (2,480,000 lbs)
  • 2,216 tons:  Total weight of the updated bridge (4,432,000 lbs)
  • 50:  Number of feet the RIB is west of the state line 
  • 2:  Number of states the project crosses into (entire bridge is in KS, but the eastern approach goes into MO)
  • 1:  Minutes it takes to walk from Hy-Vee Arena to RIB
  • 50:  Number of feet the upper deck is above the river
  • 3': How many feet the US Army Corps is raising the adjacent levees
  • 3' 5":  Amount we are raising the bridge (to remain above new levee height)
  • 130 Yards:  Width of the KS River
  • 55':  Widest spot on the bridge after the 13 ft cantilevers off of both sides are added
  • 2nd:  The truss on which the trailhead and entertainment district sits
  • 2:  Number of decks high
  • 85 Yards:  Length of the cantilevered, lower-deck
  • 13:  Feet each deck extends from both sides of the bridge
  • 30:  Feet that engineers determined that cantilevers could be extended in later phases
  • 3,160,000:  Pounds of moving weight that engineers determined the RIB can carry
  • $1:  Price the Unified Government paid Kansas City, MO for the bridge

TWO INDEPENDENT STUDIES CONFIRM THIS IS A WORLD FIRST

Rendering of Rock Island bridge

Looking west at the new “front door” for Kansas

Rock island bridge at night

The new Kansas Waterfront is a confluence of trails, land/water, and our two Kansas City's

Rock Island Bridge rendering

The top deck’s 300-person event space has ceiling mounted heaters and drop-down curtains for cool weather

Image on Bridge, restaurant

The North Deck of the Central Truss seats 300

Rendering of Rock Island Bridge

The Western Truss is perfect for public uses like farmer's markets, festivals, and just relaxing while the river roll by

INFRASTRUCTURE REUSE IS SUSTAINABILITY

The Rock Island Bridge is an infrastructure re-use project itself that reinvents 1,200 tons of blighted steel into a public crossing, trailhead and an entertainment district.   It's also the catalyst in a broader movement to:

  • Activate the Kansas Waterfront for recreation up to the Missouri River
  • And to reconnect Kansas City to our history, nature, and to each other

The steel rails are being repurposed as foot rests along the bar and viewing platforms. And we are minimizing waste in our food service strategy, and exploring the viability of solar energy. 

THE HIGH LINE NETWORK 

Rock Island Bridge has been invited to join the prestigious High Line Network, a working think-tank for America's top infrastructure reuse projects. A high honor.

Members of the Network commit to creating vibrant, public spaces that anchor local communities, build civic connections, support environmental resilience and foster equitable community development.

High Line Network

THE ROCK ISLAND BRIDGE: FOR KANSAS CITY, BY KANSAS CITY

Infrastructure reuse projects like the Rock Island Bridge can transform entire areas in a community. But they often need participation from across the entire community to get them going. If you run into any of our friends and supporters below ... remember to raise a high-five, an oar, or a glass of the good stuff to them.

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

  • Friends of the Kaw
  • Historic West Bottoms Association
  • Armourdale Renewal
  • Lathrop GPM LLP
  • Central Avenue Betterment
  • Free Wheels for Kids
  • All American Catfish
  • PortKC
  • ZipKC
  • EAG Advertising & Marketing
  • Healthy Wyandotte
  • KC Boat Club
  • Foutch Brothers Development (Hy-Vee Arena)
  • Prime Investments
  • American Crane
  • Dickinson Family Foundation
  • Helzberg Foundation
  • Sunderland Foundation
  • BlueScope Foundation

ADVISORS

  • Dennis Strait | Multistudio (formerly Gould Evans)
  • Crissy Dastrup | Dastrup Creative Group
  • Scott Brown | Bon Ami Faultless Starch
  • Bruce Holloway | Historic West Bottoms Association
  • Dana Knapp | ArtsKC
  • Julián Zugazagoitia | Nelson Atkins Museum of Art
  • Monica Mendez | Armourdale Renewal
  • Brett Posten | Highline Partners
  • Rick Behrens
  • David Disney | JE Dunn (retired)

GOVERNMENT PARTNERS

  • Laura Kelly | Governor, KS
  • David Toland | Lieutenant Governor, KS
  • Tyrone Garner | Mayor of Kansas City, KS
  • David Johnston | Unified Government County Administrator
  • Jeff Fisher | Unified Government Public Works
  • Sarah White I Unified Government Engineer
  • Bridgette Jobe | Director of Tourism, KS

CIVIC INVESTORS

  • Cathi and David Brain
  • Robert Regnier
  • Andrea Wardell
  • David Lockton
  • Tom and Jean McDonnell
  • David Larrabee
  • Dan Musser
  • Neal Sharma
  • Tucker Trotter
  • Richard Wetzel
  • Jeanette Prenger
  • Ann and Frank Uryasz
  • And many others