FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 7, 2006

Landscaping work to complete City's urban gateway project

Construction and landscaping work will begin Sept. 11 at the intersection of Fifth Street and Broadway Street. This is part of an ongoing beautification effort of the Broadway Corridor, which began in 2001.

Upon completion of the urban foyer landscaping project, perennial flowers, decorative shrubs and ornamental grasses will adorn the base of the gateway "urban foyer" monuments, and pedestrians will enjoy new shade trees on the west side of Broadway Street from Fifth to Sixth streets. Utility items no longer in use will be removed in the surrounding area. All work will be complete by mid-November.

Periodic lane reductions will be necessary during construction. Both north and southbound lanes of Broadway Street may be affected during non-peak commute hours (9 a.m. until 3 p.m.). No full street closures are anticipated to be associated with this project.

This project is part of the Broadway Corridor Improvement Program that was announced in 1998. Since that time, the City has completed a variety of projects including the construction of the urban and northland foyer monuments, the painting and lighting of the Broadway Bridge, and landscaping of the east side of Broadway Extension. Future improvements along Broadway Street are expected for 2007, when streetscape improvements along selected areas between Sixth and 12th streets are scheduled for construction.

The urban foyer landscaping project is a joint effort of the City of Kansas City, Mo., the Downtown Council, the Kansas City Economic Development Corporation, the Greater Kansas City Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the Missouri Department of Transportation. This project is being managed by the City's Capital Improvements Management Office. The project was designed by HNTB and will be constructed by Mega Industries.

Drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians should be aware that areas adjacent to active construction sites may expose them to dangerous conditions. Individuals are urged to exercise extra caution while traveling through these construction areas.

For more information about this project, visit the Capital Improvements Management Office's Web site (www.kcmo.org/cimo).