Source: The Kansas City Star
Sure, the Brookridge Golf & County Club is suffering a bit.
Utility relocations for the Interstate 435 and Antioch Road interchange project have shut down the golf course's front nine holes till spring. Construction crews are still rebuilding the maintenance facility. And a few club members have left because of the inconvenience.
The winter may look bleak.
But Michael Osbourn, president of the club's board of directors, is looking forward to a bright 2005, when the club's new and improved 18-hole course reopens.
And again to 2008, when the highly anticipated interchange is unveiled.
Both can only benefit the club, located just east of 103rd Street and Antioch Road, in the heart of the $100 million-plus interchange project.
"We feel that the facility will be so much improved that there will probably only be a few available memberships by the time we actually start playing golf," Osbourn said.
General manager Rick Thorn Jr. agreed: "It's a win-win for everybody."
A joint effort between the city and the Kansas Department of Transportation, the project includes building the Antioch interchange and a new flyover ramp from southbound U.S. 69 to eastbound I-435, widening I-435 to eight lanes between Metcalf and U.S. 69 and constructing noise walls in some areas along I-435 and U.S. 69.
Construction of the noise walls and some utility relocation began in the last few months, but major road work is scheduled to take off late next summer. The project could continue through 2008.
Brookridge became a part of the plans in 1999 or so, when the city pegged a few acres of the golf course for utility relocations and a right-of-way acquisition, Osbourn said. The club worked hand-in-hand with the city to find a way to either eliminate or at least mitigate construction impacts on the club, he said.
But what they came up with is Brookridge will dedicate the right-of-way and easements necessary for construction of the interchange. And the city will the help fund the remodeling of five holes -- the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth on the southwest corner of the course -- as well as the maintenance building. Osbourn said the city is paying for the bulk of the project; the club's contribution is minimal.
Construction crews set to work on the maintenance facility in July and are expected to be finished by the end of the month. Remodeling of the golf holes began in October. Osbourn hopes to reopen the full course between April 15 and May 1.
Although working with the city has had its setbacks -- closing half the course for six months is one -- Osbourn said it's also been an opportunity to improve the course and the country club.
"We feel the improvements to the various holes which are being rebuilt will at least maintain if not increase the difficulty of the course," Osborn said.
"I believe it's going to provide our membership a feeling of playing on a brand new course."
And after this spring, club members shouldn't be inconvenienced by the I-435 and Antioch Road project, Osbourn said.
That may not be true for drivers, though.
Dan Miller, a supervisory civil engineer in Overland Park, said the project is bound to cause congestion, but the city plans to phase construction to reduce delays as much as possible and hopes to keep at least three lanes of I-435 open in both directions for most of the project.
While most road work is still months away, the city plans to shut down eastbound Indian Creek Parkway's right turn lane at Antioch Road in the next 30 days or so. That turn lane could be closed for weeks for utility work, Miller said.
But despite any delays now or in the next three years, Miller said the project will "increase access to the College Boulevard corridor, increase capacity for traffic on I-435 and increase safety for folks all the way from U.S. 69 to Metcalf Avenue."
In addition, Miller said: "It will have a tremendous economic development impact for Johnson County and Overland Park."
