The Missouri Department of Transportation has marked a milestone in its mission to fix 802 of the state’s worst bridges in five years by reopening the first bridge repaired under the Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement Program.
MoDOT, Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission and county officials celebrated the rehabilitation of the bridge over Hominy Creek on Route AA north of Rte. 32 near the city of Halfway in Polk County on April 23. The bridge, which had been closed for repairs since Feb. 23, was reopened with a parade of vehicles representing critical services the bridge carries, such as emergency responders and school buses.
Two other Safe & Sound projects also were finishing up in the same week—one on Rte. 17 over Eleven Point River in Howell County and the other on Rte. F over Wolf Creek in St. Francois County. To date, seven bridges under the Safe & Sound program have been complete and another 33 are under construction. Missourians can track MoDOT's progress through an interactive map at www.modot.org/safeandsound.
“We made a commitment to Missourians that we would improve hundreds of the state’s worst bridges, and we are delivering on that promise,” said MoDOT Director Pete Rahn. “MoDOT is addressing more bridges than we ever have before thanks to the Safe & Sound initiative, as well as the normal bridge work scheduled in our five-year construction program, ongoing corridor work and now upcoming recovery act projects.”
The 142-ft, two-lane bridge over Hominy Creek was built in 1966. Under the Safe & Sound program, Burk Bridge Co. of Brookline, Mo., replaced the deck in just 60 days for a low-bid amount of $225,919.
Immediately after the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission approved the Safe & Sound program on Sept. 18, 2008, MoDOT went to work and was able to get the first bridges under construction within five months.
There are 248 rehabilitation projects being delivered through MoDOT’s normal bidding process, with 109 under contract by June. Work on the remaining 139 bridges will be spread out over the next four years. Additionally, the Commission expects to select a team in May to award a single design-build contract for a package of 554 bridge replacements. Some of those bridges will be under construction this year, too. Most bridges will be closed to speed construction and reduce cost.
