The Missouri DOT (MoDOT) this week announced plans for construction of the new I-70 Missouri River bridge near Rocheport to begin in late 2021.
The design-build project will be completed by a contractor and designer team. That contract is scheduled to be awarded by the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission in July 2021. MoDOT says bridge construction will take several years and the new bridge is expected to be opened to traffic by the end of 2024.
Project Director Brandi Baldwin said there have already been several steps completed in preparation for construction of the new bridge.
“Before we are able to move forward with any construction plans, there are several factors that we have to assess,” Baldwin explained in a statement. “Last December we started the re-evaluation of an environmental study that had been completed for the bridge in 2005. In March we conducted geological testing and survey gathering that provided valuable information about the area’s rock and soil stability.”
MoDOT also announced the goals of the project, which start with meeting the expectation of delivering the project under the expected $240 million budget while still providing a quality product. The design-build contractor team will work to minimize traffic impacts during construction while focusing on the safety of the traveling public and the workers.
The current Rocheport Bridge was built in 1960 and is rated in poor condition. Further delays in replacing the bridge could have resulted in weight restrictions. Rehabilitation work would have only extended the life of the bridge by as little as 10 years and could have caused three-to-eight-hour backups along I-70.
Design-build is a delivery method that includes hiring one contracting team to complete the design and construction work under one contract. MoDOT provides the project goals, budget and schedule, and the contractor team conducts the work. This technique has been known to significantly save time and money.
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SOURCE: Missouri DOT
