MoDOT ready to recycle entire Rte. 40 bridge

Everyone knows you can recycle that old cereal box, your soda can from dinner and even a glass bottle, but what about a bridge? Yeah, you can recycle that, too. On July 10, MoDOT will demolish the Rte. 40 bridge and recycle 100% of the debris.

Built in 1966, the bridge is constructed of materials that are readily recycled today. After demolition, crews will retrieve:

* 2,578 tons of concrete, which will be used for base rock material or as rock ditch liner;

* 210 tons reinforcing steel, which will be collected and delivered to a recycler; and

July 8, 2010

2 min read

Built in 1966, the bridge is constructed of materials that are readily recycled today. After demolition, crews will retrieve:

* 2,578 tons of concrete, which will be used for base rock material or as rock ditch liner;

* 210 tons reinforcing steel, which will be collected and delivered to a recycler; and

* 579 ft of aluminum handrail, which also will be collected and delivered to a recycler.

"Recycling our materials is a priority in this job," said MoDOT Construction and Materials Engineer Perry Allen. "One-hundred percent of this bridge is recyclable and we plan to salvage all 100%." Large-scale recycling is not a new concept for the department. MoDOT leads the nation in the number of recycled roof shingles added to asphalt mixtures. Other examples include:

* 325,000 tons of concrete and asphalt were recycled and reused during the reconstruction of a 10-mile stretch of I-64 in St. Louis;

* When the Rte. 19 Missouri River Bridge near Hermann was taken down, about 2,000 tons of steel from the structure was recycled;

* MoDOT has used enough recycled tires in its construction projects over the past two years to equip 20,000 cars;

* About 70% of state highway signs are produced from reclaimed material; and

* Using the latest technology, MoDOT can actually recycle entire asphalt roads.

The Rte. 40 bridge will be razed with a series of controlled charges. Beginning 12:01 in the morning on Saturday, July 10, northbound and southbound I-435 will be closed to all traffic until 5 a.m. Monday, July 12, so crews can salvage and remove debris. Bridge demolition is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act-funded project to add a third lane to I-70 in each direction and improve the interchange at I-435. It also will include removing and replacing the Blue Ridge Cutoff (George Brett) Bridge over I-70. For further information about this project and others, please visit MoDOT's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/modot.kansascity, Twitter site at www.twitter.com/modot_kc, or website at www.modot.mo.gov/kansascity