HANNIBAL – Work will begin to replace the Loutre River Bridge on westbound Interstate 70 Monday night, June 3rd. While two lanes of traffic will still be open throughout most of the project, the speed limit will be reduced to 60 mph, and the lanes will be narrowed from 12’ to 10’9”, with narrowed shoulders. “The first stage of construction is to rebuild the right shoulder, and this work will be done at night,” said Missouri Department of Transportation Resident Engineer Rick Domzalski. The next stage of work will be to shift traffic to the right and build the first half of the bridge to the left. Once that’s complete, traffic will be shifted onto that portion of the bridge and the final stage, to be completed next year, will be to build the rest of the bridge. Domzalski explained the extra bridge width built in the median to maintain two lanes of traffic during this project will be available for future expansion of the interstate.
After the shoulder work is done and work begins on the bridge, the contractor will work during the day, behind temporary traffic barrier for the safety of the workers.
The project was awarded by the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission to Phillips Hardy for $5.4 million and includes replacement of the westbound bridge. The work is expected to be fully completed by August 2020.
During the shoulder reconstruction, and while making traffic shifts between stages, there will be lane closures within the work zone. During those closures, the truck parking facility between mile markers 169 and 170 will also close. The contractor is constructing the bridge in phases to primarily maintain two-lane traffic through the project. The contractor may work, but will not be allowed to close lanes of the Interstate during holiday weekends or on weekends of home University of Missouri-Columbia football games.
For updates on road construction, please refer to MoDOT’s traveler map at www.modot.org. Please obey all signs in the work zone, slow down, buckle up and never use your cell phone while driving, especially through a work zone.