MoDOT pushes forward with Highway 54 bridge project as lane shift begins
Mitchell Kaminski
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Missouri Department of Transportation is moving into the next phase of its bridge rehabilitation project along Highway 54 over Missouri Boulevard, with new traffic changes and ramp closures set to begin Tuesday evening.
Crews will begin work on the right-hand lanes of U.S. 54 over Business Route 50, forcing both eastbound and westbound traffic into the left-hand passing lanes. The shift will come with three ramp closures, including one not previously affected:
Westbound Highway 54 off-ramp to Missouri Boulevard. (Which is new during this phase.)
Eastbound Highway 50 off-ramp to westbound Highway 54. (Closed during Phase 1.)
Missouri Boulevard on-ramp to eastbound Highway 54. (Closed during Phase 1.)
The ramp closures are expected to remain in place through early October. MoDOT officials say the work — part of a larger plan to rehabilitate 11 bridges and remove one out-of-use structure — was designed in-house and does not require additional right of way.
MoDOT has already completed work on eight of the 11 bridges in the first phase of the project.
Chris Brownell, MoDOT’s resident engineer for the Central District, said the project is necessary to address wear and tear on aging infrastructure.
“We’re putting back on all these structures a latex modified wearing surface, which we’re hoping a 30-year surface. Plus, it seals up the water to keep from getting down in the concrete because water and calcium is what tears up your bridge the most,” Brownell said.
Construction in the evenings which has reduced the effect on the extreme heat seen across Mid-Missouri in recent weeks.
“Obviously, the human element, it takes a little toll with the heat but as far as construction goes. It’s plowed ahead, good dry weather, they’re going to be able to work,” Brownell said. “The wearing surface, it kind of needs more of less sun so they usually do all that work at night because the sun rays will affect how that cures.”
The project is already ahead of schedule. Incentives built into the contract for each day the project finishes ahead of schedule helped accelerate the completion of the first five bridges.
“It does incentivize a contractor to work overtime, pull in an extra crew. It’s an important corridor and affects a lot of people,” Brownell said. The incentive is placed in there to try to get a contractor to mobilize his forces, to get in and out and do good quality work.”
Despite the lane reductions, Brownell said traffic is generally flowing with minimal backups.
“What you see now in town over the Missouri Boulevard it’s a one-lane bridge. We’re not seeing significant backups. You know, weekends, we’re having some issues with capacity and traffic. For the most part. I think traffic is able to work around that where they can,” Brownell said.
A number of Jefferson City residents, who were downtown on Tuesday afternoon, told ABC 17 News they haven’t experienced any major inconveniences from the project.
“We’re trying to get in and out as soon as we can,” Brownell said. “It’s just a good situation to have to have the funding to do the projects we need to do in a timely fashion,” Brownell added. “The main thing is to watch for signs, watch for slow and back traffic and just be careful as you get through the 54 corridor.”