AASHTO Journal, 21 December 2012
Officials from the Kansas Department of Transportation and Missouri Department of Transportation joined community members and local officials earlier this month in Atchison, Kansas to celebrate the opening of the new Amelia Earhart Memorial Bridge over the Missouri River.
The $59.4 million bridge, construction of which began in the spring of 2009, replaces the old AE Memorial Bridge, as the original bridge was completed in 1938 and cannot handle today’s larger trucks. To accommodate more traffic, the bridge also increases the amount of lanes from two to four. The cost of the bridge was shared between the two states (with Kansas contributing $30.6 million and Missouri $28.8 million).
“This project has been a long time coming, but I believe everyone who uses it will think it was worth the wait,” said KDOT Secretary Mike King. “It will provide a safe route for families, allow for the smooth flow of traffic and commerce, and be an icon for the communities on both sides of the river.”
The old AE Memorial Bridge is schedule to be removed early next year.
Additional information on the AE Memorial Bridge project is available at bit.ly/EarhartBridge.