MoDOT crews repair crack in Lamine River bridge

Missouri Department of Transportation has begun repairs on the Lamine River bridge just west of Boonville on Interstate 70. A MoDOT inspection crew found a three-inch crack on Monday in one of the steel beams running along the bottom of the bridge. MoDOT crews were out Tuesday putting a steel beam in place under the bridge as temporary support — officials said the bridge is safe.

“A crack in a tension area typically can grow rather rapidly if the conditions are right. So, that’s when you find a crack in a tension zone, it’s important to get in and stabilize it and then make the repairs when you get to them,” said Alan Trampe, district bridge engineer for MoDOT.

MoDOT closed down one lane of traffic on the bridge. A repair team was on the scene to give the bridge a temporary fix until engineers can draft a permanent solution. MoDOT’s director, Dave Nichols, said repairs like the one to the Lamine bridge could be a common occurrence in the future — due to MoDOT’s budget issues. In a statement, Nichols said without continuous investment in rehabilitation and replacement projects, this will keep happening, more frequently.

“The funds are going down, so the potential is there for more bridges to come up for some kinds of repairs,” said Trampe.

MoDOT officials said the temporary work should be finished Tuesday. The permanent fix is slated to be completed next week.