Steadily and in some cases not so slowly, Clay County is demolishing its transportation weaknesses and attaining a position as one of the most dynamic regions in metropolitan Kansas City and even the state of Missouri.

Although Clay County’s position astride key interstate highways has always represented a significant advantage, a handful of bottlenecks and other factors have tended to provide both real and perceived challenges to the area’s development. The largest has been the Missouri River, which tends to separate Clay County from the rest of metropolitan Kansas City.

Three projects have significantly altered that situation and a fourth promises to essentially eliminate it. New bridges for Highway 291 and Chouteau Trafficway (Highway 269) and a $30 million project to maintain the Paseo Bridge (I-35) were in full use by the end of 2005. Funding was also in place for either a second Paseo Bridge span or widening of the existing structure. This project, expected to begin in 2008, would modernize a key link on one of the nation’s most significant north-south interstates, and Clay County’s biggest connect with downtown Kansas City.

The continued and dramatic development of downtown was a factor in itself. Next to Kansas City’s own Jackson County, Clay County is nearest of any area in the metro to the new arena, entertainment district, world and regional headquarters that total $4 billion. When a significant portion of these developments is complete beginning in 2007, Clay County residential and commercial demand will be impacted.

Clay County’s relation to other metropolitan features enhances its position as well. I-435 leads to Kansas City International Airport, located only minutes from most Clay County sites. In southern Clay County, the region’s major corporate jet facility Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport is nearing completion of a $20 million improvement.

Other state and federal highways are also significant. Highways, 210, 152 and 69 provide important east-west routes while 169 adds another major north-south link from downtown Kansas City to Clay County’s northern limits. Commercial growth in Smithville has accelerated dramatically after 169 was recently widened to four lanes

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