Northeast Missouri Bridge Report
HANNIBAL – There is good news and not-so-good news when it comes to bridges on state highways in northeast Missouri. There are fewer poor condition bridges, since some bridges previously in poor condition have been replaced in the last year. There are also 39 replacements planned in the next 4 years, and there are 2 bridges that are no longer closed “indefinitely” due to condition.
However, the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Northeast District, comprised of 17 counties, is averaging 10 bridges each year moving into the poor condition category, and 63 bridges have been in poor condition for more than 5 years.
MoDOT bridge engineers recently completed their routine annual inspections on more than 600 bridges and culverts throughout the district. “Since funding has been and continues to be a challenge to support maintaining our transportation system, our goal is just to keep all bridges open and, on major routes, avoid weight limit postings,” explained Travis Wombwell, a professional engineer who heads up the Northeast District bridge division.
“With 10 bridges anticipated to move into the poor condition category each year, it is going to be tough to support our goal,” he added. To help, Wombwell explained, MoDOT places a high priority on flushing and sealing all decks and maintaining expansion joints on bridges to help extend their use.
The bridges that were inspected over the last 6 months were located in Lewis, Lincoln, Monroe, Montgomery, Pike, Ralls, Randolph, Scotland and Warren Counties. Later this year, Wombwell’s engineers will begin annual routine inspections in Adair, Audrain, Clark, Knox, Macon, Marion, Schuyler and Shelby Counties. Large bridges like the Mark Twain Memorial Bridge, the Champ Clark Bridge and bridges at Mark Twain Lake are inspected using a large piece of equipment called a Snooper, and these are done throughout the year. The Champ Clark Bridge is slated for full inspection in June.
Some of the higher profile bridge replacements that will occur this year include the two bridges on MO 16 in Lewis County, the two bridges on MO 79 in Pike County, the Route H bridge in Lincoln County, and the MO 168 overpass bridge in Palmyra.
For more information about upcoming road work by county, go to www.modot.org/northeast. You can also sign up to receive email notifications and text alerts for road closures in your area.