KINGDOM CITY – The Missouri Department of Transportation wants motorists who drive through Kingdom City on westbound U.S. Route 54 to be aware that their travel may be impacted beginning Monday, April 23 when bridge rehabilitation work begins on the westbound Route 54 bridge over Interstate 70.
The work will take place in two stages. During the first stage of work, westbound Route 54 traffic will be reduced to one lane over the bridge. When the first stage is completed, the second stage of work will take place and two lanes of traffic will be open over the bridge.
The westbound Route 54 bridge over I-70 carries approximately 10,000 vehicles per day. MoDOT expects backups and traffic delays during peak travel times, especially on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
During all stages of the work, the westbound I-70 off-ramp to Route 54 (Exit 148) will be closed. A temporary exit ramp has been constructed on I-70, approximately two miles east of Route 54 (Exit 148). The temporary ramp will detour I-70 traffic to Route 54 via the Old U.S. 40 outer road. Traffic will exit on the temporary ramp to Old U.S. 40 to Route 54.
Electronic message boards will be in place along the routes to inform motorists about the work. The bridge is scheduled to be completed in approximately 30 days, which will be before the Memorial Day weekend.
The rehabilitation work will allow the bridge, originally built in 1960, to provide an additional 20 to 25 years of service.
The bridge rehabilitation is part of a larger plan by the Missouri Department of Transportation to improve nine total bridges between I-70 and New Bloomfield in Callaway County.
Capital Paving and Construction is the contractor on the $7.3 million bridge project.
More information about this project can be found online at www.MoDOT.org/Central/Route54CallawayBridges.htm. For other transportation-related matters, please call 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (275-6636) or visit www.modot.org/central.