Construction of a new Interstate 44 Outer Road bridge over the Gasconade River west of Hazelgreen in Laclede County will begin next week. The project includes building a new bridge on a new alignment between the existing Gasconade River Bridge, located along Historic Route 66, and the I-44 bridges across the river. The existing bridge was closed to traffic in December 2014 due to extensive deterioration.
Contractors working for the Missouri Department of Transportation will begin grading and drainage work on Monday, August 20. The initial work will also include blasting operations, which could slow traffic on I-44. Lane closures and traffic delays on I-44 are possible as the project progresses this fall. In addition, construction crews plan to build a causeway to haul material from the west side of the Gasconade River to the east side. This will restrict navigational traffic on the river after Labor Day weekend.
The entire project is scheduled for completion in August 2019.
For more information about this project or other transportation-related matters, please call 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (275-6636) or visit www.modot.org/central. Follow the MoDOT Central Missouri District on Facebook and Twitter for project updates.
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