HANNIBAL – Weather permitting, the week of March 20, The Missouri Department of Transportation and its contractor, Emery Sapp & Sons, Inc., have scheduled the closure of the South Outer Road of I-70/Tree Farm Road. The outer road will remain closed over the next several months until the south roundabout is complete. Message boards will be placed on Missouri Route 19 to alert motorists of this closure.
Drivers will continue to experience various temporary traffic impacts over the next few months when traveling on Interstate 70 and Missouri Route 19, near New Florence.
The following traffic impacts will also be in effect with all work occurring during the nighttime hours of 8:00 p.m. – 5:30 a.m.:
- March 20 & 21, as well as the week of March 27, MO 19 south of I-70 will be reduced to one lane with flaggers used for traffic control while shoulder widening, asphalt work and barrier wall placements are completed. All ramps at Missouri Route 19 and access to the south outer road/Tree Farm Road will remain open. Flaggers will direct motorists through the work zone.
- Also, the week of March 20, MO 19, north of I-70 will be reduced to one lane with flaggers used for traffic control for shoulder widening work.
- Intermittent lane closures will continue over the next month along I-70 affecting the inside lanes between mile markers 174 and 176 for concrete placement for the new bridge. All ramps at Missouri Route 19 will remain open.
- Intermittent rolling lane closures will continue along I-70 between mile markers 174 and 176 to move equipment in and out of the median.
- Bridge girders will be placed between March 29 and April 6. This will require a 2-night closure of the passing lanes of WB and EB I-70 and rolling lane blocks between mile markers 174 and 176 while cranes are moving beams into final position. Additionally, work will require the closure of the EB and WB off ramps at MO 19 from 8:00 p.m. – 3:00 a.m. During this time, MO 19 will be reduced to one lane from the North Outer Road to the South outer Road during this time to stage girders and place onto the bridge.
All work is weather dependent and schedules are subject to change. Drivers will be alerted to all traffic impacts through signs and changeable message boards. “As construction continues on the bridge replacement and interchange improvement project, we would like to remind drivers to be attentive in work zones and put down your cell phones to eliminate distractions,” said MoDOT Area Engineer Jeff Niemeyer.
Drivers can learn more about the specific construction phases of the project and traffic impacts by viewing the video series created to help keep drivers informed. The stage 1 construction video can be found here: MO 19 Bridge Replacement Over I-70 & Interchange Improvements - Stage 1 - YouTube. For more information about this new interchange project, visit us online at Missouri Route 19 Bridge Replacement and Interchange Improvement over I-70 | Missouri Department of Transportation (modot.org).