I-70 bridge replacement project begins Monday

A project to replace three I-70 bridges in Columbia begins Monday.

Over the next year, crews with the Missouri Department of Transportation will replace the bridges over Rangeline Street, Garth Avenue and Business Loop 70 near Creasy Springs Road.

“In very simplest terms, the concrete is worn out on the bridges that we have now and they need to be replaced,” said Travis Koestner, MODOT Assistant District Engineer. “There’s not much more we can do with them.”

Today crews will close sidewalks along Rangeline between I-70 and Vandiver Drive, in preparation for lane restrictions and reductions scheduled to take place Wednesday night.

“We’ve already restripped Rangeline to roughly 10 foot lanes,” said Chip Jones, Project Manager with Emery Sapp and Sons. “The pedestrian sidewalk is closed as of today, so the pedestrians need to go a different route to get through here. Providence is the easiest to go around.”

At that time, one westbound lane of I-70 will close, and one northbound and one southbound lane on Rangeline will close. The closures will allow for barrier placement and lane re-configuring.

MODOT said lane closures along I-70 will be kept to a minimum and most construction will take place Monday through Friday. Koestner said crews will try to work around special events like upcoming Saturday Mizzou football games.

“Most of the lane closures on I-70 will be at night and off peak hours,” Koestner said. “But there will be times when the cross streets will be closed for some short periods of times. The major impact will be a 45 full day closure up at the West Boulevard Business Loop 70 section and that will happen next spring.”

The entire project is expected to finish by fall 2016. The estimate cost is $18 million.

Click here for more information on the project, including maps and timeline information.