KANSAS CITY, Mo. - MoDOT's plans to add bicycle and pedestrian accommodation to the Chouteau Bridge over the Missouri River will be explained at an informational public meeting from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, September 8 in the Lewis and Clark Room at Mid America Regional Council, 600 Broadway, Kansas City, Mo.

The Chouteau Bridge, which connects Kansas City with North Kansas City via Route 269, will be reconfigured to provide barrier-protected multi-use paths for bicycles and pedestrians, plus include signage for bicyclists to share the road with motorized vehicles. MoDOT will retrofit the 10-year-old bridge to accommodate bicycle/pedestrian use within existing dimensions and connect with city streets on both sides of the River.

The project is another element to help improve non-motorized access across the Missouri River, a need identified in a 2006 MoDOT study. Currently only narrow sidewalks on the Chouteau and Heart of America bridges provide pedestrian crossing opportunities, and bicycle accommodations are limited.

If approved, the project can begin in the early spring and be completed by the end of 2010. See what MoDOT and its consulting engineers are planning, look at the displays and talk with engineers and designers during this important public meeting.

More info/online feedback: http://www.modot.org/kansascity/major_projects/Chouteau_Bridge.htm