Missouri pushes ahead with bridge repair plan

Oct. 5, 2007

While the governor and legislators of Minnesota remain conflicted over how to finance the state’s backlog of transportation repairs, Missouri is moving ahead with a plan to fix or replace more than 800 state bridges within five years.

Missouri plans to have a team of contractors finance the $400 million to $600 million in repairs and maintaining the bridges for another 25 years, over which time it will use a portion of its federal budget to pay back the companies. The contractors could recoup as much as twice their construction costs as the state repays the companies.

While the governor and legislators of Minnesota remain conflicted over how to finance the state’s backlog of transportation repairs, Missouri is moving ahead with a plan to fix or replace more than 800 state bridges within five years.

Missouri plans to have a team of contractors finance the $400 million to $600 million in repairs and maintaining the bridges for another 25 years, over which time it will use a portion of its federal budget to pay back the companies. The contractors could recoup as much as twice their construction costs as the state repays the companies.

Missouri has accepted bids from two teams of construction firms, which will pay to repair or replace nearly 80% of bridges in the state that are in poor condition.

The plan, which was in the works before the Minnesota tragedy, also has a short-term political benefit. Lawmakers don’t have to convince the public of the need for higher gasoline taxes or new tolls—proposals that have stopped transportation funding packages in other states, including Minnesota and Pennsylvania.

"With this innovative new approach to transportation, we will do in five years what would have taken us 20 years before," said Missouri state Rep. Neal St. Onge. "We are getting maximum value for taxpayers and keeping the public safe as well."

But the plan has its limitations. Besides the large payout, the program is targeting only smaller, rural bridges—from 100 ft to 300 ft long. None of Missouri's 11 steel-deck truss bridges, which resemble the Minneapolis span that collapsed, is scheduled to be repaired under the plan.

In addition, few companies could commit to completing such a statewide project. Two of the four original teams to bid on Missouri's plan dropped out because they could not meet the program's requirements.

Despite those issues, there was little opposition to the plan in a late summer special legislative session, where lawmakers passed a bill to change Missouri’s bonding requirements to accommodate the bridge projects.

Sponsored Recommendations

The Science Behind Sustainable Concrete Sealing Solutions

Extend the lifespan and durability of any concrete. PoreShield is a USDA BioPreferred product and is approved for residential, commercial, and industrial use. It works great above...

Powerful Concrete Protection For ANY Application

PoreShield protects concrete surfaces from water, deicing salts, oil and grease stains, and weather extremes. It's just as effective on major interstates as it is on backyard ...

Concrete Protection That’s Easy on the Environment and Tough to Beat

PoreShield's concrete penetration capabilities go just as deep as our American roots. PoreShield is a plant-based, eco-friendly alternative to solvent-based concrete sealers.

Proven Concrete Protection That’s Safe & Sustainable

Real-life DOT field tests and university researchers have found that PoreShieldTM lasts for 10+ years and extends the life of concrete.