MoDOT bridge program reaches halfway point

Fourteen new bridges opened to traffic last week in Missouri, pushing the number of completed projects in the MoDOT's Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement Program past the halfway point.

There are now 410 new or rehabilitated bridges that have been constructed. When completed, the Safe & Sound program will have repaired or replaced 802 of the state's lowest rated bridges. Just this year alone 80 new bridges have been built.

"We've really picked up the pace the last four months," Project Director Ken Warbritton said. "We're currently ahead of schedule and on track to finish a full year early. We could be finished by the end of 2012 instead of 2013, which was our original goal."

The first Safe & Sound project was completed on April 23, 2009. Since that time, MoDOT has opened a new bridge every two days.