Progress Continues on U.S. 71 & Bannister Road Bridge Improvements

Construction continues to move forward on the U.S. 71 Bridge over Bannister Road as Clarkson crews recently completed the installation of twelve girders using the company's new Liebherr crane.

The girder setting operation included six 57-foot girders spanning the first bridge section and six 63-foot girders spanning the second. Weighing between approximately 44,560 and 48,700 pounds each, the girders form the structural backbone of the new bridge and mark an important milestone in the project's construction.

The U.S. 71 and Bannister Road improvements are designed to enhance safety, improve traffic flow, and increase overall connectivity for both motorists and pedestrians. Once complete, the project will widen southbound U.S. 71 by adding an additional lane across the new bridges and extending north to just south of the Hickman Mills Drive interchange.

In addition to the bridge improvements, the project includes enhanced pedestrian accommodations beneath the bridge along Bannister Road, improving connectivity for those traveling through the corridor on foot. Crews will also rehabilitate existing culverts north and east of the interchange to improve long-term drainage and infrastructure reliability.

Clarkson is proud to deliver infrastructure improvements like these that will serve the Kansas City community for decades to come, improving safety, mobility, and reliability for everyone who travels the U.S. 71 corridor.