The first step has begun to build a bridge over the railroad tracks in the South Side.

The St. Joseph Regional Port Authority has purchased 16.42 acres that will be used for a truck staging area adjacent to the proposed bridge.

The land was purchased for $262,000 from Canal Capital Corp., which owns the St. Joseph Stockyards. The empty property is located just north of Beaver Street, which will link with the new bridge from King Hill Avenue.

“It fits very nicely into the overall scheme,” said Brad Lau, executive director of the Port Authority.

The real estate purchase was funded with stimulus money through a state grant. An additional $1.3 million will be used for improvements, starting with a large parking lot to serve as a truck staging area for businesses in the Stockyards Industrial Park.

Mr. Lau explained that particularly during harvest season, semi trucks line up along Stockyards Expressway. The new area will alleviate the safety problem.

At the same time, Beaver Street will be upgraded and traffic signals will be installed at the intersection, making it feasible for the trucks to get onto Stockyards Expressway from the parking area. A pedestrian crosswalk also might be built over the highway. Nestlé Purina, which operates a factory across the street from the staging area, could utilize the crosswalk for its workers.

“The site is not conducive to a building,” Mr. Lau said. “We can utilize vacant land to benefit all the businesses in the area.”

Numerous businesses are expected to use the truck staging area, including those on Stockyards Expressway and Lower Lake Road. It will be owned by the Port Authority, but a plan to pay for maintenance is still being developed.

“This is designed to be a project that enhances the economic development aspects of the community,” Mr. Lau said.

Truck staging has been an issue, said Terry McClatchey, marketing manager for Ag Processing Inc. Last year, Ag Processing bought concrete that the Missouri Department of Transportation installed along Stockyards Expressway.

“For the area, I think it’s a great idea,” he said.

The South Side has been trying to get a bridge over the railroad tracks for some time. Originally, the bridge was expected to go near the intersection of Alabama Avenue and U.S. Highway 59.

“We tried to find a place that would work for the community and engineering-wise,” said Tony McGaughey, assistant district engineer with MoDOT.

The chosen site for the bridge is north of the point where King Hill Avenue splits from Lake Avenue. The two-lane bridge will cost $8 million to $10 million, which is expected to be paid mostly by federal earmarks.

Mr. McGaughey said MoDOT is working with the federal government to conduct the environmental impact assessment.

“Once we get their concerns, the detailed design could begin after that,” he said.

A final step would be to pave the shoulders along Stockyard Expressway, Mr. Lau said.

“That would really help clean up the area,” he said. “There’s so much dust and grime from the gravel shoulders.”

Susan Mires can be reached at susanm@npgco.com.