FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 17, 2006

Bridge dedication celebrates life of Kansas City civic leader

Civic leaders and City of Kansas City, Mo., officials joined Friday to commemorate the achievements of a Kansas City "bridge-builder."

The reconstructed 27th Street Bridge was renamed the Herman A. Johnson Bridge on Friday during a brief ceremony at the site. The City Council voted in August to name the 27th Street Bridge after civic, business and civil rights leader Herman A. Johnson. Johnson, a Kansas City civil rights and business leader for more than four decades, died in 2004 at the age of 87.

"Herman Johnson connected the business and civil rights communities, serving as a bridge between cultures since the 1950s," said City Manager Wayne A. Cauthen. "It is only fitting that this bridge, which is within walking distance of his home, serve as a monument to his efforts."

Representatives of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and the Missouri Association for Social Welfare attended the dedication ceremony. In addition to serving in a leadership capacity in those groups, Johnson was a prominent businessman, a state legislator and the chairman of Kansas City's first minority-owned bank, Douglass Bank.

Originally, the 27th Street Bridge over Vine Street was constructed to carry a single street car track and vehicular traffic. Prior to its replacement, the bridge and sidewalk had deteriorated significantly.

The City closed the bridge and began the $3.2 million rehabilitation project in summer 2005. The concrete arch structure was replaced with a three-span bridge with retaining walls, improved pedestrian access and form liners. The Capital Improvements Management Office managed the project, which was completed in November.