MODOT prioritizes safety measures as progress continues on Rocheport Bridge

ROCHEPORT, Mo. (KMIZ)

Safety measures have been and continue to be a priority for the Missouri Department of Transportation's construction crews following an injury that happened in late September while working on the new Rocheport bridge.

MoDOT is currently working on the westbound portion of the bridge. This portion of the project is expected to be completed in late spring of next year. When the westbound bridge is completed all traffic will be moved on to the bridge, and in the summer of next year, the existing bridge will be demolished, and work on the eastbound bridge will begin.

Baldwin said the bridge is on track and on budget. The westbound bridge is expected to be completed by the spring of 2023, and the eastbound lane is expected to be completed by December 2024.

"So, all of our employees have to wear safety glasses, hard hats, and life vests at all times when they're over water," said Project Director, Brandi Baldwin.

Anytime an employee is over water, working on the bridge, they are required to wear life vests, and clip themselves to safety wires.

"Especially with those really high-risk items, being tied off, having your life jacket on when you're over water, we have great compliance with that." Baldwin said, "We do a great job with getting our hard hats, safety glasses, and vests on."

Progress continues to be made on the nearly $240 million Rocheport Bridge project as well.

"Over the past several months, we've made a lot of progress, we have several of our land piers completed, and we have concrete and new girders in place," Baldwin said.

The new bridge will be 3,120 feet long and will be a multi-span structure of five weathering steel plate girders spanning over the Missouri River, and 10 pre-stressed concrete girders.

MoDOT is starting work on its steel erection, "which is placing all of the steel over the river channel" said Baldwin.