Progress for the bridge replacement project of the Lance Corporal Leon Deraps Interstate 70 Missouri River Bridge near Rocheport is on schedule, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT). The announcement was made Monday, saying that construction crews made a great deal of progress.
Beginning Monday, the public should expect nightly lane closures due to median work that should take about 3 weeks to complete. Crews will be widening new lanes for the bridge. MoDOT stated that construction of drilled shafts was on schedule. Contractors planned to drill the last shaft and pour concrete near the Katy Trail next week.
“Some of these are 100 feet from the surface. All the concrete gets poured where people can’t see it. It’s all below ground. It’s just the like the foundation of your house. It’s what is really going to hold the bridge up.” said MoDOT Project Manager Brandi Baldwin.
Baldwin noted the 60-year-old bridge was at the end of its life. She said the $240 million bridge project will be safer for drivers crossing between Boone and Cooper counties over the Missouri River and will reduce traffic fatalities by 60%. The project began in January of this year.
“Just like with everything, supply chain issues and things like that are things we are going to see, too. We’re overcoming them. We’re able to try and stay on schedule. Everything we know we need we’re making sure we try to get it ordered well in advance of when we need it.” said Baldwin.
More than 40,000 vehicles travel over the bridge near Rocheport each day. The new bridge project will have a 100-year lifespan with numerous safety improvements. The two new bridges replacing the old one should be ready for traffic by the end of 2024.
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Source: MoDOT
