City Grill

Agnes Otto  
Transportation Director
Burns & McDonnell

“The Kansas City region has become a huge draw for big events—this year’s NFL draft and the World Cup in 2026—and with that comes a need to build the mobility plans and infrastructure to support these events,” Otto says. “Another huge trend we are seeing is leveraging public and private partnerships to create successful outcomes for the region. We’ve opened a new airport  and are working to improve the system of highways and bridges that connect us. 

“Using an alternative delivery method to accelerate projects will be critical to keeping  completion dates in line with key events in the region,” she says. “Additionally, program management is an essential tool to get these projects completed. For the new Panasonic plant, which is a $4-billion EV battery manufacturing facility, it was necessary to get the roadwork done in advance of the project. The project is being fast-tracked using progressive design-build delivery managed by Burns & McDonnell and our joint venture partner, Garver, for the Kansas Dept. of Transportation.  

“The buzz around the region [is that] the Panasonic project—a public/private partnership—will bring an estimated 4,000 new jobs to the region,” she says.