The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) this week launched bridge construction on the new I-70 Missouri River bridges project near Rocheport.
The current bridge was built in 1960 and is rated as being in poor condition, which may have resulted in weight restrictions in the coming years. The 60-year-old bridge is safe and will continue to be maintained by MoDOT while construction of the new bridge is underway. The bridge carries 12.5 million vehicles per year, including 3.6 million trucks, according to a release from Gov. Mike Parson's office.
The new Missouri River bridge will cost approximately $240 million and will provide a reliable bridge for interstate travelers for the next 100 years. This project was funded in part by an $81.2 million Infrastructure For Rebuilding America (INFRA) Grant, the largest competitive grant ever received by MoDOT.
“This bridge was designed with the future of Interstate 70 and the safety of the traveling public in-mind,” MoDOT Director Patrick McKenna said in a statement. “When complete, it will include two bridges, one in each direction of travel, each wide enough for four lanes of traffic. This approach also allows us to construct both bridges with limited impacts to traffic.”
In July, MoDOT announced the selection of the Lunda Team—made up of Lunda Construction Co., Parsons Transportation Group Inc., Dan Brown & Associates, and Hugh Zeng United—as the contractor.
The new bridges will include many safety enhancements, including a high friction surface treatment and pavement sensors to reduce weather-related incidents, wet reflective striping, and a linear delineation system (a line of reflective signs along the barrier wall) to help increase lane and bridge visibility.
The first bridge will be built north of the current bridge and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2023. Traffic will then be transitioned to the new bridge, the current bridge will be demolished, and construction is scheduled to be completed on the eastbound bridge by the end of 2024.
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SOURCE: Office of Gov. Mike Parson
