JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Interstate 70 is scheduled to close the morning of Sept. 10 for the blast to remove the truss of the old Missouri River bridge at Rocheport, weather permitting. For the safety of motorists and the demolition team, the interstate and a 2,000-foot perimeter around the blast, including a portion of the Katy Trail, the interstate, on land surrounding the old bridge and on water. These areas will be closed and secure during and immediately after the blast, which is tentatively scheduled for 7:30 a.m.
Both directions of traffic on I-70 and on the Katy Trail will be stopped just prior to the blast. Once the area is secured, the demolition team will use a controlled explosion to drop the old truss into the river. Crews will then sweep and inspect the new westbound bridge to ensure all debris is clear before the interstate is reopened to traffic. After the all-clear, traffic will be allowed to resume on the Katy Trail. It is expected this process could take up to one hour. Motorists are strongly advised to avoid I-70 the morning of Sept. 10, from 7 to 9 a.m.
In case of inclement weather, the blast could be delayed that morning, or rescheduled to the morning of Sept. 12.
Viewing locations for the blast are extremely limited, with the majority on private property. Please be respectful to private landowners, businesses, and first responders. Do not block driveways or access roads.
To allow the public the best view of this exciting milestone in the building of the new Lance Corporal Leon Deraps I-70 Missouri River (Rocheport) Bridge, the Missouri Department of Transportation plans to livestream the event at modot.org/Rocheport. Signal strength in the area surrounding the bridge, however, is not optimal for a livestream. Should technical issues disrupt the livestream, a recording of the blast will be provided at the same website, but it may not be available until Monday, Sept. 11.
The blast only lasts a moment, but it will drop approximately 1,100 feet of truss, including 6 million pounds of steel into the Missouri River. The demo team must remove the pieces of the truss from the river within 24 hours of the blast in order to reopen the river channel to boat and barge traffic.
Construction on the new eastbound bridge will begin almost immediately after the blast. A $220 million project to build the new bridges began in early 2022 and is on time to be completed with both bridges open to traffic in December 2024.
For more information on the project, visit www.modot.org/RocheportBridge.
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