In terms of natural disasters, it has been the mother of all spring/summer seasons for the state of Missouri. First came the deadly Joplin tornado in late May, and recently flooding has destroyed the landscape, including critical roads and bridges.
In fact, the Missouri Department of Transportation reported on Sept. 13 that 18 main routes are still drowning and impassable. I-29 also will remain closed due to severely damaged interstate bridges in Iowa, and MoDOT will not be able to determine when it will open until early October.
MoDOT has already begun the recovery process, but some routes could remain closed for the next couple of weeks.
“Just being able to let these emergency repair contracts go up this week is a really big deal,” MoDOT spokesperson Melissa Black told the Associated Press. “That means we are getting the ball rolling.”
A 500-ft gap on U.S. 136 is perhaps the worst damage inflicted by the flooding. U.S. 59 also has 40-ft holes in various sections.
