Bundschu Road reopens after crews mitigate stormwater damage

(Update, Oct. 21, 2024) INDEPENDENCE, Mo. - As of Thursday, October 17, Bundschu Road is officially open, less than four months after it was officially closed to traffic due to a failing stormwater culvert.

Crews worked for almost a month to build a completely new culvert. Since flooding rains created a sinkhole, crews excavated and stabilized the 110" diameter corrugated metal pipe, constructed inlet protection, re-built the roadway and adjusted guardrails. This updated structure is designed to help alleviate the area of possible flooding due to excess water during heavy rain and winter snow melt, while maintaining a passable roadway. 

Much thanks to our Municipal Services crews for their hard work on the project.

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(Update, Sept. 26, 2024) INDEPENDENCE, MO. – Crews began working on the closed portion of Bundschu Road September 19, roughly two weeks ahead of schedule.  

The City closed Bundschu Road in July; crews deemed it unsafe after heavy rains. In these unplanned situations, the City takes preventative measures immediately.  However, the process involved - engineering assessments, designing the solution, and finding contractors when the work is determined to be beyond the City's internal capacity - take time. 

Weather-permitting, Bundschu Road near Jones Road should reopen early to mid-October.

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(Original article, August 20, 2024) INDEPENDENCE, MO. – It will be the Fall of 2024 before the City of Independence reopens ¾ of a mile of Bundschu Road.  It closed due to a failing stormwater culvert, which makes the stretch dangerous for vehicle traffic.  

The road closure went into effect July 1 on Bundschu Road just east of Jones Road, and will continue until repairs are completed and the roadway can be safely reopened.  At the August 19th meeting, the Independence City Council learned the contractor will begin work on the closed stretch of road in mid-October, weather permitting.  If all goes according to plan, the work would take two to three weeks to complete.

This is due to storm water erosion resulting from flooding rains earlier in the summer.

This post will be updated when the road reopens.