COLUMBIA, Mo. – For the third time, Emery Sapp & Sons along with their design team Parsons Engineering and the Missouri Department of Transportation, are sliding a new bridge into place on Interstate 70 in Columbia.
The new I-70 bridge at Business Loop 70 joins the Garth Avenue bridge and the Range Line Street bridge as the final bridge to be shifted into place as part of a project to replace several aging structures on I-70 in Columbia. The Business Loop bridge is the largest of the three I-70 bridges and weighs in at 1.5 million pounds with a span of 90 feet.
Workers are sliding the bridge this morning. The bridge is expected to be in place by Monday evening.
Business Loop 70/West Boulevard and all on- and off-ramps at Interstate 70 and Business Loop/West Boulevard are currently closed to build a new interchange at the location. The south outer road (I-70 Drive) is also closed at the interchange.
Hydraulic jacks and dishwashing liquid will be used to move the bridge into place. The dishwashing detergent is used as a lubricant to help slide the structure along stainless steel plates. The bridge will have to be moved 91.6 feet laterally to reach its final destination.
Anyone interested can watch the bridge slide on a camera posted on the project website: www.MoDOT.org/ColumbiaBridges.
For more information, including a complete look at traffic and pedestrian impacts associated with the project, visit www.MoDOT.org/ColumbiaBridges.