Platte County approves contracts and studies for multiple trail, bridge and park projects

Commissioners approved several professional services agreements and a change order to advance county trail, bridge and park projects that the county says are tied to federal grants and local funds.

County Administrator West Mender outlined a Terracon contract to perform a MoDOT-required Phase I archaeology survey for the Route 152 Trail extension inside Mark McHenry Park tied to an approximate $2,700,000 federal grant; the county aims to obligate federal funds by Oct. 1 so design can proceed and the project can be bid this winter. Mender also presented an amendment with Kimberly Horn and Associates as the design consultant for the Brush Creek Trail using a $1,300,000 federal grant; right-of-way acquisitions from two property owners and permits from the U.S. Army Corps are required before construction, which staff judged likely in late 2027.

Parks staff requested and the commission approved Change Order #1 for the Running Horse Trail and a 136th Street sidewalk extension with Julius Caz Construction for $51,406.36. Staff said new design work and utility conflicts in the suburban corridor required the change order and pushed the contractor to complete the sidewalk before local schools open in the third week of August.

For the Missouri Riverfront Trail, staff recommended hiring Renaissance Infrastructure Consulting to provide a short-term fix and a longer-term project to address severe erosion at a primary pedestrian-bridge abutment; the contract cost is $129,825 to be paid from the parks and stormwater fund. The commission approved the contract and certified funds are available.

Taken together, the approvals move forward multiple linked trail segments that county staff said aim to eventually create a roughly 32-mile loop connecting existing trail systems.