BOONE COUNTY - The Missouri Department of Transportation will hold an informational community briefing on Thursday, Nov. 12 from 4:30 - 6 p.m. to provide information about the upcoming bridge deck replacement on Route 40 over Interstate 70 in Boone County.

The community briefing will be held at MoDOT's Rocheport Maintenance Facility located at 1400 North Route J.

The bridge is located at interstate mile marker 121 near Midway.  The improvements are being made as part of the Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement Program.

The bridge will close during the work, but ramps to and from I-70 will remain open.  The contractor can begin the work at any time between spring and fall 2010.  Once the bridge has been closed, the work must be completed within 65 days.  Traffic will be detoured around the work area using I-70.

The Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement Program will improve 800 of Missouri's worst bridges in five years.  Ninety bridges will be replaced or repaired in the mid-Missouri area as part of this program.

For more information about this work or a complete listing of bridges included in the program, please call 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (275-6636) or log onto www.modot.org/central.