Traffic Alert: Emergency I-70 bridge work to close lane for several days
UPDATE: Missouri Department of Transportation crews said a finger expansion joint on the I-70 bridge eastbound partially broke Sunday.
Crews temporarily fixed the joint Sunday night in an attempt to have it hold long enough so a plan could be created to completely fix it Monday night.
The temporary fix broke late Monday afternoon. MoDOT crews said they had to immediately start repairing the expansion joint.
Crews said that they will close the right lane through Tuesday night and weather permitting, start to close the left lane from Wednesday until the repair is finished.
MoDOT crews said the expansion joint was originally replaced in 1993. They said that the joints usually need to be replaced every 25-30 years.
MoDOT crews will be fixing the expansion joint for 24 hours a day until they are done.
ORIGINAL: One lane of I-70 could stay closed for several days due to ongoing bridge work.
MoDOT spokeswoman Sally Oxenhandler told ABC 17 News that repairs could last through Thursday at the Rocheport Bridge in west Boone County. The agency made an emergency closure of one eastbound lane of I-70 around 5:30 p.m. Monday for the work.
Oxenhandler said a problem with an expansion joint will require more resources. She initially expected the lane to reopen around 6 a.m. on Tuesday, but the work may require them to close the lane for 2-3 days.
Traffic will begin merging into one lane at mile marker 113. Drivers can expect to see workers in the area day and night, Oxenhandler said, and MoDOT will lower the speed limit in the area to 45 mph.
Alternate routes around the maintenance include U.S. Highways 24 and 50, Oxenhandler said.
ABC 17 News reported in September 2013 on MoDOT’s inspection of the bridge in September 2013. The bridge had a rating of “6” on a scale of 1-9, with 9 representing a brand-new bridge.
