SIKESTON – The Missouri Department of Transportation began repairs on the Missouri Route 51 bridge over the Mississippi River (Chester Bridge) yesterday. Crews worked into the night to repair the bridge. The bridge was load posted yesterday at 25 tons based on its most recent bridge inspection.
“Our crews made great progress on the necessary repairs yesterday,” said District Engineer Mark Croarkin. “Utilizing crews and equipment from Jefferson City, St. Louis and the Southeast District allowed us to expediate the work and will hopefully minimize the inconvenience for travelers and commercial vehicle operators.”
Croarkin explained once repairs are completed, MoDOT will increase the load posting on the bridge to 40 tons. The 40-ton load posting is expected to be reinstated by 7 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 10.
“MoDOT will strive to avoid further weight restrictions; however, given the age and overall poor condition of the bridge we expect there to be challenges until the bridge can be replaced,” said Croarkin. “We also have a bridge rehabilitation project programmed for 2021, which will allow us to keep the bridge operational until we are able to replace the structure.”
Plans to replace the Chester Bridge are not projected until 2028, and the project is estimated to cost approximately $140 million.
The work zone will be marked with signs. Motorists are urged to use extreme caution while traveling near the area.
For additional information, contact MoDOT’s Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (1-888-275-6636) or visit www.modot.org/southeast.
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