ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – In 1966 “Batman” and “Star Trek” debuted on television, a NASA spacecraft orbited the moon for the first time, Pampers created the first disposable diaper, miniskirts were in fashion, and Ronald Reagan began his political career in California. It is also the year the Nodaway River Bridge was built over the southbound lanes of Interstate 29 at the border of Holt and Andrew counties.
A lot has changed since then, including the amount of cars on the bridge. Today more than 6,000 cars and trucks make their way across the span each day, adding to the wear and tear on the bridge’s surface, also known as the bridge deck.
Contractors from Emery Sapp and Sons, working with the Missouri Department of Transportation, plan to replace the bridge deck. The first step drivers will see is the construction of crossover lanes in the median just north and south of the bridge. This will allow contractors to replace the bridge deck without closing the road and detouring traffic several miles around the work. Construction on the crossovers will begin in mid- to late April. The old bridge deck will then be removed and a new bridge deck will be poured. The contractor expects to reopen the bridge to southbound traffic at the end of October.
During construction, traffic on I-29 will be head-to-head, one lane in each direction, in the northbound lanes. The traffic pattern switch is planned for mid-May.
All schedules are weather dependent and subject to change.
For more information about this and other MoDOT projects, call 1-888-ASK-MODOT (888-275-6636
) or visit www.modot.org/northwest and view the online Traveler Information Map. In addition, MoDOT provides updated information on Twitter @MoDOTNorthwest and Facebook at www.facebook.com/MoDOTNWDistrict.
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