Excelsior Springs, Mo. (Feb. 23, 2025) – Excelsior Springs is quickly moving forward with the Dry Fork Greenway Project, a much-anticipated infrastructure improvement designed to reduce frequent flooding along Main Street and enhance community green space. The project is part of a larger, multi-phase plan to address persistent flooding issues throughout downtown Excelsior Springs, aiming to improve stormwater management and protect public infrastructure.
According to Public Works Director Chad Birdsong, work is currently focused on brush clearing, which is expected to take another week. Once complete, a grinder will be brought in to mulch the remaining debris before moving on to the next phase of construction.
“We just had a progress meeting last week,” Birdsong said. “They’re looking to have the roads, paving, and the box culvert in by the end of May—weather permitting.”
The Dry Fork Greenway Project addresses chronic flooding issues that have impacted Main Street and nearby properties for decades. The project area, situated in the Dry Fork watershed north of downtown, frequently experiences flooding during rain events well below the 100-year flood threshold used in FEMA mapping.
To improve drainage, the city is replacing the existing low-water crossing with two reinforced concrete box culverts, each measuring 8 feet by 9 feet. The roadway will also be elevated by approximately 3 to 4 feet to reduce the likelihood of flooding from smaller storm events.
“If we have another flood like 1993, it will still flood,” Birdsong noted. “But those two- or three-inch rains that used to shut the road down—those shouldn’t happen anymore.”
The city is also implementing additional flood storage upstream and downstream of the crossing to prevent unintended impacts on surrounding areas. Vegetation management and tree plantings will be added later in the project, with major plantings scheduled for the fall.
The project is funded in part by a Missouri Department of Natural Resources stormwater grant and designed by George Butler Associates (GBA), the project’s design and engineering firm, with support from Vireo. The improvements will mitigate flood risks and incorporate a new greenway trail, providing a recreational benefit for the community.
Officials remain cautiously optimistic about the project’s timeline but acknowledge that spring weather conditions could impact progress.
“They have bumped the schedule quite a bit,” Birdsong said. “If we get a lot of wet weather or spring flooding, that could be a challenge.”
While most of the major work is targeted for completion by the end of May, final landscaping efforts, including tree plantings, will take place in the fall.
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While I have no objections to the project itself I have to ask why I am effectively blocked from my home access off of 413rd street. What exactly does blocking 143rd street do for the project if it is mapped for Kennedy and main street. There is no detour route available and the announcements were scant at best with no information given on 143rd. Please correct this issue as there is many people who are not happy with this situation.