US-169 Buck O’Neil Bridge Project
Kansas City, Mo.
Merit Award
Presented by Massman construction
Owner: Missouri Department of Transportation
Main design company: HNTB
General contractor: Massman-Clarkson, a joint venture
Comprised of double girder bridges, the $219 million Buck O’Neil Bridge replaced a functionally obsolete structure that was first constructed in 1956, providing a vital way in and out of downtown Kansas City.
The new three-mile-long bridge spans the Missouri River, and more than 50,000 vehicles a day now use these crossings, which improve local and regional connectivity and improve traffic safety and efficiency.
To avoid impacts to the railroad that runs on the north side of the river, the project team redesigned a right-hand airport exit as a left-hand exit with a full deceleration lane, eliminating a proposed 200-foot retaining wall adjacent to the BNSF railroad.
A strict mass concrete specification increased the long-term durability of the bridge substructure, but required constant temperature control throughout the curing process to protect against thermal cracking. The team also optimized the river bridge plate girders to suit the contractor’s marine construction capabilities and to minimize extraneous material and field assembly.
