Temporary fire station to be put in place during Amidon Bridge construction

A temporary fire station near 13th Street and West Street will be set up to prevent possible delayed response times due to the impending closure of the Amidon Avenue Bridge for replacement.

The Wichita City Council originally approved funding of the new design in January of 2021 but received considerable blowback from community members with concerns about how a prolonged bridge closure would impact fire department response times and neighborhood access to key services across the river.

After a second round of community input where city engineers explained how keeping one or two lanes of traffic open during construction would affect the project cost and timeline, the council chose to move forward with its current plan for a 14-month closure during construction, which is set to begin this fall.

“Anything we do beyond closing the bridge would push the start date to fall of 2023, because of the additional design effort that is required,” Gary Janzen, assistant director of public works and utilities said at Tuesday’s council meeting.

The pop-up fire station will ensure engines can access the neighborhoods cut off by the bridge closure in a timely manner, Janzen said.

Amidon Bridge, which spans the Arkansas River, is a common route not only for residents, but also for first responders. The bridge’s closure would cut of Firehouse Station 7 from residents south of the bridge. The Fire Department discussed the possibility of utilizing Fire Stations 1 and 8 for the area during the closure, but came to the conclusion that the stations would not be able to provide full service to the area. The new fire station would operate however long the bridge is closed for construction.

The closure is not expected to impact EMS response times.

The bridge will feature four twelve foot travel lanes, one ten foot sidewalk on the west side and a six foot sidewalk on the east side. The aesthetic elements were also approved at the city council meeting.

Due to the size of the project, public works and utilities department requested a 3% increase of the estimated bid amount — which is an estimated $250,000. The city council approved the request with six in favor — Mayor Brandon Whipple was absent so did not cast a vote.

Contributing: Matthew Kelly of The Eagle