Mayor Sly James, City Council members and community stakeholders joined KC Streetcar Constructors (KCSC) today in breaking ground on the downtown streetcar starterline. The first phase of work includes upgrades to Kansas City’s century-old water and sewer system, which is being coordinated with the streetcar rail installation, and is part of the City’s long-term watermain replacement program.
“This is a huge day for Kansas City because we are redefining what transportation means, what it looks like, and how it impacts neighborhoods,” said Mayor Sly James. “Coordinating this first phase with needed improvements to our water and sewer system is good business for the City and will deliver a good return on investment for our residents.”
“This project uniquely blends Kansas City’s past, its present, and its future. With this milestone, we turn another page in our City’s great story,” added Councilman Russ Johnson, chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
The 2.2 mile north-south Downtown Streetcar will travel along Main Street and connect the River Market to Crown Center and Union Station. The total project includes two phases, beginning with the water and sewer system upgrades. Once those are completed, KCSC will begin constructing the track for the starterline and the vehicle maintenance facility.
The KCSC team is led by St. Joseph-based Herzog Contracting Corporation, and national rail builder Stacy and Witbeck, Inc. More than 60 subcontractors are part of KCSC, of which over 40 are registered disadvantaged business enterprises (DBE). For more information on KCSC, contact Meghan Jansen at or at .
