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State work will close 12th Street ramp; county warns of changed access to Government Center
Summary
County staff said state utility and bridge work will close the 12th Street ramp starting May 20 for approximately 14 months, redirecting public access to the Pike Street entrance and changing parking patterns; a resident said the closure will make it harder for working people to attend 5:30 p.m. meetings.
County Administrator Joe Shriver told the court that the State will perform utility work that requires resealing a ramp corridor adjacent to the Government Center and that contractors plan to shut down the 12th Street ramp starting May 20, with an expected 14-month duration. "They're going to be shutting down the 12th Street ramp starting May 20th," Shriver said, adding the timeline was adjusted to avoid election disruption and that the Pike Street entrance will become the primary public access point during construction.
Shriver said staff have discussed alternate routing and parking options, and noted that improvements in Independence provide additional capacity for some services while construction proceeds. Resident Michael Staverman objected that 5:30 p.m. meetings are already difficult for working people to attend and warned the closure would further reduce public participation unless meeting times or formats are reconsidered. Judge Knochelmann said past attempts to change meeting times had not increased attendance, but acknowledged access concerns.
