Streetcar track repairs to begin Thursday morning
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Repairs on the KC Streetcar will start Thursday morning and crews will work around the clock to get it moving again.
Downtown Kansas City, the Crossroads and the River Market will be missing a popular noise.
“I guess the noise is a bit different but that’s okay,” said Rae Myers, who lives in the Crossroads.
The streetcar line is currently inactive as engineers sort out a problem with the track on the I-670 bridge, where part of the rail popped out of the pavement.
“I don’t really mind. I don’t use the streetcar too often, but I do get down Main Street a bit quicker now,” said Myers.
Edward Adutwum, who frequently uses the line said, “I think it’s a good service to the city, so it would be very good to get it back on track again.”
Streetcar authorities said that, based on preliminarily assessments, the failure was likely due to multiple factors including thermal expansion and deterioration of the track slab.
The popular transportation services’ sudden suspension is catching some off guard.
“We had planned to ride it tonight, so we’ll just have to figure something else out,” said Hannah Harris, who was waiting for the streetcar with her friend Suzannah Burris.
“Well, my car is in the shop at the moment and so, anytime that I want to do anything downtown, I can walk or grab an Uber. But, it’s definitely appreciated having it. Everybody loves it,” said Burris.
For the time being, another option is being offered. RideKC buses are coming around every 20 to 30 minutes, hitting all the same stops as the streetcar.
“The bus is okay. The streetcar would have been a lot better, but we got around still,” said James Byrne, who took the bus.
“It is sad to see this happen, how much work was put into it and how much money that was put into it, but there’s no one to blame,” said Kelli Krohne, who uses the streetcar.
Streetcar officials said the area of the track will remain closed and that crews will be working around the clock starting tomorrow to get the line fixed.
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