Though built with the best intentions, what is known as the “Kansas City Cut,” a sunken freeway that slices through the heart of the city, has proven over the years to be a deep wound.
Constructed primarily in the 1960s, Interstate 670 was built as a way to connect I-35 and I-70. But rather than serving as a connection, it divides the Power and Light District from the Crossroads, creating a wall of noise and pollution for those who live nearby. City officials, who have long been looking at ways to remedy the situation, recently approved millions in state and federal funding to create a four-block park known as the South Loop Project, which would cover the below-ground roadway with an urban park. The undertaking would have a number of environmental effects beyond creating outdoor gathering spaces—such as blocking the emissions from seven lanes of traffic, quieting the roar of the interstate and dropping the temperature for blocks of exposed, heat-absorbing concrete.
The South Loop project has been in the works for almost two decades, when the Power and Light District was beginning to take shape and then-Mayor Kay Barnes first floated the idea. Since then, it has encountered several funding setbacks—namely the Department of Transportation’s rejection of two multi-million-dollar grant applications. However, with the latest round of approved funding by city officials, the project has now raised approximately $130 million of the proposed $218 million price tag, and they are hopeful that at least half of the project will be completed by 2026, just in time to welcome visitors coming to town for the World Cup soccer games.
“We expect to break ground by the end of this year,” says Kansas City’s City Manager Brian Platt. “This park will add much-needed green space downtown, reduce the harmful noise and air pollution impacts of the highway and will create a new centerpiece destination for residents.”
Other cities have taken similar measures to repair the divisions caused by mid-century highway expansions. The Klyde Warren Park in Dallas, Texas, was an almost identical project to KC’s South Loop. By most accounts, the Dallas park has been successful in creating a downtown green space where food trucks gather and workers spend their lunches outside.
Downtown resident Shannon Moran looks forward to the possibilities of a new park. “As someone who lives right in the area and walks over those streets often, I think that a dedicated green, walkable space is a great idea,” Moran says. “I’d be excited to have a strong communal center, shade provided by trees and a nice space for my dog to play.”
