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The Blue River Channel, Kansas City, Missouri, project is a joint effort between the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District and the City of Kansas City, Missouri. The project extends generally southward from the mouth at the Missouri River upstream to 63rd Street. The purpose of the project is to provide flood damage reduction in the Blue River Valley between the mouth and 63rd Street.
The project consists of channel modifications along 12.5 miles of the Blue River in Kansas City, Missouri, consisting of a widened channel with a combination of concrete paving, rock or stone-protected slopes and grass slopes. Several severe bends in the channel are being eliminated. The improved channel will have the capacity to carry flows of up to 35,000 cubic feet per second. The floods of May 1990, July 1993, May 1995, October 1998, and June 2001 were entirely contained within the banks of the improved channel. In addition, it has been estimated that the crest of a 100-year frequency flood event will be lowered six to eight feet within the project area.
Improvements generally consist of cut and fill to widen and deepen the existing channel and to improve hydraulic capacity. Waste fill is generally placed in designated fill areas in the vicinity of the channel. Existing drainage structures are being extended and slope stability in high risk areas will be checked. Missouri Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Agency requirements have been followed to properly handle and dispose of debris and contaminated materials resulting from the junkyards, industrial operations, and uncontrolled dumping along the channel.
Although the Blue River channel project will not be complete for the next few years, the benefits to the surrounding environment will continue to accumulate with the completion of each construction contract.
There are several components within the project that will allow for future reinvestment into the communities. The City is working in partnership with the Corps of Engineers to provide updated FEMA mapping, this will have a positive effect on National Insurance Program. The City is seeking opportunities to provide better water quality to the Blue River as a whole. This has stimulated efforts for economic redevelopment in surrounding communities, which several areas within the project limits have benefited. The City has been pursuing flood protection for the Blue River Valley since the major floods of 1928 and 1929. The record setting flood in September 1961 brought about a Congressional resolution requesting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to perform a study of the project. Congress authorized the project to proceed in 1970.
The 1970 authorized project included upstream reservoirs in both Missouri and Kansas and channel improvements from 63rd Street downstream to the mouth at the Missouri River. The upstream reservoirs, in the Kansas portion of the project, failed to gain local approval and sponsorship, and the project was reduced in scope to the downstream channelization only. Construction of the downstream channelization began in late 1983.
The Blue River Channel Modification Project was authorized by Congress on 31 December 1970 under the Flood Control Act of 1970 (P.L. 91-611, 91st Congress, 2nd Session) at an estimated Federal cost of $38,000,000 and Non-Federal cost of $5,000,000, based on 1967 price levels. The benefit cost ratio for this project is 3.4:1 at a 6 5/8 percent interest rate.
The City of Kansas City, Missouri entered into a Local Cooperation Agreement (LCA) with the United States of America on 8 September 1983 for the project.
The last reported Federal cost to Congress was $248,000,000. City project costs of lands, damages, and relocations are estimated at $37,000,000. As of May 1, 2002 the Corps has spent $181 million and the City has spent $34 million dollars. The United States Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for the design and construction of the project and the modification of railroad facilities. As the local project sponsor, the City of Kansas City, Missouri, is responsible for providing all land needed for the project and for the relocation or modification of all utilities, sewers, streets and roadways bridges.
The project is divided into three stages, and will consist of nine major construction contracts. Seven contracts have been completed since work began in late 1983.
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Contract No. 1 (Stage 1): The channel was widened and deepened in the area north of Interstate 435.
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Contract No. 2 (Stage 2): The channel between 9th and 12th Streets was widened and deepened and a structural rock bank lining was installed.
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Contract No. 3 (Stage 1): The banks of the channel between I-435 and 9th Street were stabilized by the installation of over 14 miles of vertically driven H-Piles.
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Contract No. 4 (Stage 2): An area of environmentally hazardous material was removed and permanent access road was installed for future construction and maintenance.
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Contract No. 5 (Stage 2): "The Paved Reach" - Completed the work in the area between I-435 and 12th Street. The contract, originally scheduled for completion in March 1994, was completed ahead of schedule in September 1993. The work included the removal and disposal of over 775,000 cubic yards of excavated material, the installation of 20,000 cubic yards of rock fill and 22,000 cubic yards of concrete. With the completion of the Paved Reach Contract, the entire project was approximately 33% complete.
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Contract No. 6 (Stage 3): "12th to 9th Streets" - Completed August 1999. The work widened the channel between 12th Street and the Union Pacific Railroad Bridge south of 17th Street and also included a new channel alignment to straighten the Centropolis Loop, a new bridge at 17th Street, and the relocation of Manchester Trafficway between the Blue River and Truman Road, and a wetlands mitigation area.
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Contract No. 7 (Stage 3): "19th to Stadium Drive" - Completed in November 1999. The work consisted primarily of widening the channel in this reach.
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Contract No. 8 (Stage 3): "Stadium Drive to Brush Creek" - This contract is currently under construction with an estimated completion date of December 2002. The work includes widening and deepening the 2.4 miles of channel involving the excavation of over 700,000 cubic yards of earth, placement of over 200,000 tons of rockfill, the relocation of Coal Mine Road, and modification of 4 railroad bridges. The project has included the construction of a cut-off loop for wildlife habitat and the removal and disposal in permitted recycling and disposal facilities of various debris, solid waste, tires, and foundry sand material.
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Contract No. 9 (Stage 3): "Brush Creek to 63rd Street" - This contract will consist of widening the channel upstream to 59th Street and constructing a levee along the west bank of the river from 59th to 63rd Street. Other related work will include modification to or replacement of to the upper Blue Parkway Bridge as well as the removal of the lower Blue Parkway Bridge. Consideration is being given to breaking this work into two separate contracts. Currently, the design is approximately 60 percent completed. A study of the Blue Parkway Bridge, Roadway, and Intersections is currently underway to define the alignment of a new upper bridge and address local access. The completion schedule for the final contract from Brush Creek to 59th Street, contingent on federal funding, is late 2006.
Byram's Ford Historical Site: The existence of a Civil War battlefield at the 63rd Street end of the project was brought to the attention of the City and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1983. This general area is now occupied by the Byram's Ford Industrial Park. As a result of this discovery, it was agreed to relocate the upstream end of the channel portion of the project from 63rd Street to about 59th Street. Since this change leaves most of the industrial park without flood protection, a plan was developed to provide a levee through the area to provide protection from flooding. After extensive negotiations with the historical group (Monett Fund) and the Byram's Ford property owners, and agreement on the levee location was reached in September 1992. Consideration is being given to raising and relocating the levee to provide a higher level of protection and to better accommodate the historical group, respectively.
Environmental: The City has acquired many of the properties critical to the construction of the project and is working to clear properties between stadium Drive and 63rd Street of structures, trash, debris, waste tires and hazardous or toxic wastes in accordance with the project requirements.
Blue River Greenway Masterplan Study: The City and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have undertaken a joint study through the Planning Assistance to States program to provide a greenway masterplan for the Blue River corridor. The goal of this study is to prepare a comprehensive greenway masterplan for the Blue River corridor from the confluence with the Missouri River to the Bannister Federal Complex. The plan will seek to restore, enhance, and preserve greenway wetland and riparian habitat and improve recreation opportunities through improved land and management practices. The plan will guide the development and maintenance of a system of trails for pedestrians, bicyclists and equestrians to reach a variety of destinations, including the provision of connections to the trails from the surrounding neighborhoods and business areas, and linkages to other existing or planned greenway projects in and surrounding the urban core. This study will be coordinated with a planned General Reevaluation Study of the Blue River Channel Modification project.
General Re-evaluation Study: The purpose of this study will be to evaluate alternatives and potentially recommend preferred alternatives for reducing recurring flood damages, enhancing environmental and recreational resources, and improving water quality in the project area. The study will identify the Federal interest in constructing any alternatives, or combination of alternatives.
Blue Parkway Bridge, Roadway and Intersection Study: The AE is to provide a roadway and bridge study between Elmwood Avenue and Sni-A-Bar Road on Blue Parkway, including the Manchester and Hardesty intersection, to assist the City of Kansas City, Missouri in its future development of Blue Parkway in the vicinity of the Blue River Channel Modification Project. KCMO studies indicate that Blue Parkway must be widened from four to six lanes to handle projected traffic volumes between Elmwood Avenue and Sni-A-Bar Road. The City also believes that there is now sufficient justification to consider complete replacement of the upper Blue Parkway bridge, rather than rehabilitation of the existing structure. In addition, the City has secured a federal transportation grant for the rehabilitation/new bridges. There is also significant concern among local stakeholders regarding removal of the lower bridge. The study will define the bridge requirements, roadway modifications, and local access needed to improve the traffic access in the area.
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