Buck O'Neil Bridge, Road bridge in Kansas City, United States
The Buck O'Neil Bridge is a road bridge with a through arch design spanning the Missouri River near Kansas City. It connects downtown Kansas City to the Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport and the Riverside neighborhood on the opposite bank.
The bridge opened in 1956 as the Broadway Bridge and originally collected tolls from crossing vehicles. Management shifted to the Missouri Department of Transportation before the current name was adopted in 2016.
The bridge honors John Jordan O'Neil, a former Kansas City Monarchs player who became the first African American coach in Major League Baseball. His name reflects the city's effort to celebrate figures from local sports history and the breaking of racial barriers in the game.
The bridge carries the U.S. Highway 169 and accommodates substantial daily traffic between downtown and surrounding areas. Construction on an upgraded structure was initiated to improve capacity and meet future transportation demands.
A new bridge structure began construction in 2021, representing a comprehensive modernization of the crossing. The project incorporates federal funding alongside regional investment to enhance infrastructure for future use.
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