The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission recently announced the selection of the design-build contractor to replace the I-70 Missouri River Bridge near Rocheport.
The commission selected the Lunda Team—made up of Lunda Construction Co., Parsons Transportation Group Inc., Dan Brown & Associates, and Hugh Zeng United—as the contractor.
“This is an exciting moment for this project, and we are thrilled to be working with the Lunda Team,” Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) Rocheport Bridge Project Director Brandi Baldwin said in a statement. “The replacement of the bridge provides a long-lasting solution and the plan will have minimal impacts to traffic on I-70 during construction.”
The current bridge was built in 1960 and is rated as being in poor condition, which could have resulted in weight restrictions in the coming years. MoDOT said the 60-year-old bridge is safe and will be maintained while construction of the new bridge is underway.
The new Missouri River bridge will cost approximately $240 million and will provide a safe and reliable bridge for interstate travelers for the next 100 years, MoDOT says. It was funded in part by an $81.2 million INFRA Grant, the largest competitive grant ever received by MoDOT.
The bridge design includes two bridges, one in each direction of travel, each with three lanes. This allows for construction to take place with a limited impact to traffic. The design-build team’s proposal had to meet or exceed several goals set by MoDOT, which included providing a high-quality, durable, low-maintenance project that improves safety and reliability, minimizing traffic impacts during and after construction, and demonstrating a commitment to quality and innovation in all phases of the project, MoDOT says.
Bridge construction on the new bridge is scheduled to begin later this year and be complete by the end of 2024.
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SOURCE: Missouri DOT
