Construction will begin this fall on a new bridge over the Arkansas River in northwest Wichita.
The Wichita City Council approved a nearly $9.53 million plan that will replace the Amidon Street bridge between 13th and 21st Street North.
The existing, four-lane bridge was built in the 1960s and has a single, narrow sidewalk on the west side of the structure. The city says while significant corrosion has occurred, the bridge is not in immediate peril.
The new bridge will have four lanes, each 12-feet in width, a 10-foot-wide multi-use path on the west side of the bridge and a six-foot-wide sidewalk on the east.
The city will open the bidding process on August 5 and construction will begin in September. The bridge is set to close on October 1. Construction will take 14 months and should be complete by the end of 2023.
During the closure, the Wichita Fire Department will operate a temporary facility near 13th and West Street.
Art work on the bridge will be funded by general obligation at-large bonds and the construction will be funded by local sales tax.