Grandview begins improvements on Blue Ridge Boulevard

By John Sharp

Work already has begun on a $24 million project to improve Blue Ridge Blvd. for its entire five-mile length through the city of Grandview following an August 4 kickoff ceremony.

The first phase of what city officials call a transformational project – the largest infrastructure project in the city’s history – will run from 3rd Street west to the city limits at Prospect Ave. and will include street resurfacing and planting over 100 trees. It is expected to be finished this year.

Along the developed portion of this stretch of the street from Fountain Lake Dr. to 3rd St., Grandview Public Works Director Doug Wesselschmidt said in an interview that curbs will be installed on both sides of the street to fill in any gaps and sidewalks will be installed on one side.

Wesselschmidt said the second phase of the project will run from 3rd St. to Grandview Rd., and work on it is scheduled to start in early 2026 and take about a year and a half. He said it will include widening Blue Ridge to four lanes and adding a sidewalk on the north side and a multipurpose trail on the south side.

One of the most noticeable features of this phase will be to build a new Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) railroad overpass over Blue Ridge and then tear down the existing aging overpass which has no sidewalks underneath it is forcing pedestrians to walk in the street and being a narrow squeeze for large trucks going under it in different directions.

Construction of the third phase of the project which will run from Grandview Rd. to I-49 should start in 2027, Wesselschmidt said, and hopefully will be completed that year. While the details of this phase are still being designed, he said it will include resurfacing and installing a sidewalk on the north side and a trail on the south side.

Grandview city officials expect the city to only have to use $3 million in city funding for the project since an earmark of $4.6 million in federal highway funds secured by U.S. Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, a contribution of $1.7 million from CPKC and other government and private funding and grants should cover the rest of the project’s costs.

“This project has been a long time coming,” explained Grandview Mayor Leonard Jones. “Securing these funds ensures the city is doing what we do best, and that’s leveraging taxpayer dollars, so they get more for their money.”

Congressman Cleaver described the project as a “gamechanger”.

“Revitalizing Blue Ridge Blvd. means safer roads, stronger local businesses and a brighter future for Grandview and south Kansas City,” he said.