JEFFERSON CITY - At their monthly meeting on Jan. 8, the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission awarded two contracts for rehabilitation to seven mid-Missouri bridges that cross over Interstate 70.  The bridges are among the first to be improved as part of the Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement Program.

Don Schnieders Excavating Company, Inc. of Jefferson City, Mo. submitted the lowest bid of $1,077,893.26 to replace the bridge decks of the Route 41, Route 5 and Route 179 bridges over I-70 in Cooper County. 

Don Schnieders Excavating Company, Inc. also submitted the lowest bid of $1,809,524.45 to replace the bridge decks of the Route J, Route M, Route JJ and Route D bridges over I-70 in Callaway County.

To speed construction and save money, the bridges will be closed to traffic during construction.  Most of these bridges include ramps to and from I-70 and the ramps will remain open to traffic during the work.  In order to cross the interstate, motorists will be detoured along I-70 to the next adjacent interchange.

Work is planned during the spring, summer and fall seasons in 2009.  Each bridge is expected to remain closed for 30 to 50 days and adjacent interchanges will not be closed at the same time.  

The Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement Program is an innovative program developed to replace or rehabilitate more than 800 of MoDOT's most worn out bridges in five years.  At least 100 of these bridges across the state are to be under construction in early 2009. 

For more information about these bridges or the Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement Program, please call 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (275-6636) or log onto www.modot.org/central.