KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The KC Streetcar is back in operation.
Streetcar service resumed this morning (July 21), 17 days after being halted because of track failure on a portion of the Main Street bridge over Interstate 670.
The streetcar operator says multiple factors led to the track failure, including thermal expansion and degradation of the street track slab and related repair materials around the rail. The system had been shut down since July 4 [see “Kansas City streetcar shutdown to continue …,” Trains News Wire, July 10, 2023]
“Within 36 hours of the track failure, the collective KC Streetcar team had developed an aggressive, multi-agency repair plan and mobilized contractor and supplier resources from across the county,” Tom Gerend, executive director of the KC Streetcar Authority, said in a press release. “And within 48 hours of the suspension, crews, streetcar staff, and partners were on site making planned repairs and the team worked day and night since then to ensure a safe and timely recovery of service.”
The project required removal of track embedded in the street, full reconstruction of 800 linear feet of track embedded in 2,2000 gallons of elasomeric grout, rewelding of rail joints and construction of approach slabs using 45 cubic yards of concrete, replacement of deteriorating pavement, and installation of five new service drains to improve roadway and track drainage.
During the closure, the authority also inspected the entire downtown portion of the route and completed preventative maintenance elsewhere.
The 2-mile, 16-stop streetcar is a fare-free service. It is currently undergoing expansions at each end of the existing route — a 3.5-mile addition on Main Street to the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and a 0.7-mile extension along the Missouri River waterfront. Those are scheduled to be completed in 2025.
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