MoDOT says traffic could back up on I-70 this weekend near St. Charles exit due to bridge demolition
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Missouri Department of Transportation shared details Thursday afternoon on the upcoming closure and demolition of the St. Charles Road bridge over Interstate 70 as part of the Improve I-70 Project.
Demolition of the bridge will take place from 7 p.m. Friday through 6 a.m. Monday. During this time, I-70 will be narrowed to one lane in both directions.
Drivers will be rerouted to the exit ramps, where they will cross St. Charles Road and get back on the entrance ramp to I-70.
Jeff Gander, MoDOT's project director for the Columbia to Kingdom City, said traffic could be delayed up to an hour on Saturday and Sunday.
"We're hoping it's not that bad. We've done the same process at several other bridges along I-70, and I think the worst one we've had has been about 45 minutes," Gander said. "We're a little closer to Columbia, so definitely add some extra time to your travel."
According to MoDOT, I-70 will reopen both lanes in each direction once the bridge demolition is complete. However, during this time period, drivers on St. Charles Road will not have direct access to or from I-70.
Construction of the new overpass bridge is expected to continue for five months, through the end of September. During construction, drivers on St. Charles Road will be able to access I-70, but will not be able to cross I-70. Detour signs will be placed and drivers are asked to find an alternate route.
The new St. Charles Road overpass will be wider to accommodate three lanes in each direction on I-70. The overpass will also have a higher clearance for taller vehicles, pedestrian crossings and enhanced aesthetics.
The Columbia Fire Department received an email from a resident who lives near the construction and is concerned about response times. Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer said that shouldn't be something CFD crews will have to worry about.
"We're certainly going to be watching it, but we've been able to model a number of different scenarios and feel confident that we'll be able to maintain our performance to calls that would happen within the areas that we predict as being impacted," Schaeffer said.
Another fire station will also open in about a month on El Chaparral Avenue that can help with calls, especially when the St. Charles overpass is being rebuilt.
