Highway bridge in Kansas City, Kansas, declared unsafe and closed after inspection

Officials closed a bridge in the Fairfax Industrial District of Kansas City, Kansas, Monday after an inspection determined it to be unsafe, the Kansas Department of Transportation said in a news release.

The bridge that carries the southbound lanes of Kansas 5 highway over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks closed at noon Monday after bridge inspectors consulted with KDOT engineering staff, said Delaney Thonlen, a KDOT spokeswoman.

The transportation department is evaluating options for emergency repairs as well as developing a traffic control plan. The bridge is closed between Sunshine Road and 10th Street.

Message boards announcing the closure were being put into place. The signs will direct drivers around the closure until a plan for detour signs is developed. Sign contractors will install the detour signs under an emergency contract.

KDOT has notified officials with Kansas City, Kansas, Wyandotte County and the Missouri Department of Transportation as well as adjacent businesses and the railroad of the bridge’s closing.