KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KCTV) — The Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) announced Aug. 14 that a 24-mile corridor will connect four cities in Kansas and Missouri.
U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II joined local officials at a press conference to announce the Bi-State Sustainable Reinvestment Corridor project. The 24-mile corridor will connect two counties in Missouri and Kansas and create a zero-emission regional transit route to create cleaner air. This includes the introduction of electric buses and bike and pedestrian routes.
The four cities along the planned corridor include Independence, Sugar Creek, Kansas City (Missouri) and Kansas City (Canada).
The governments of Kansas and Missouri will work together to develop the route connecting Legends and Independence.
About 90,000 residents live along the planned 38-kilometer-long section.
READ MORE: Popular ‘Donk Donk’ statue returns to Olathe after June vandal attack
“We are a united Kansas City,” said Tyrone Garner, mayor of the Unified Government. “We are fortunate to have these programs and projects that connect people and commerce. That will be of great value.”
The corridor will stretch from Village West in Kansas City to Independence.
MARC was awarded $5.6 million for this project through a RAISE (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The first phase of the project is already underway and will be completed in 2025. Phase two will begin in 2025 and is expected to end in 2026. This will be followed by phase three, which will begin in 2026 and end in 2027.
READ MORE: 3 dead and 6 injured after 16-year-old crashes stolen Kia with seven passengers
MARC encourages the public to get involved and contribute to its success in a variety of ways, including surveys, pop-up events and polls. Upcoming events can be found on the MARC website.
To get the latest news on your phone, download the KCTV5 News app here.
All rights reserved.
