Boone County Commission supports I-70 bridge project

The Boone County Commission approved a $2 million contribution toward replacing the Interstate 70 Missouri River bridge at Rocheport during its meeting Thursday.

The Missouri Department of Transportation is seeking support from local counties and cities to increase its chance of getting a competitive federal grant to pay for the replacement.

MoDOT said replacing the bridge would cost about $238 million, and the grant would primarily fund the project.

During its meeting, Boone County agreed to send a letter of support and commit money toward the project.

The Columbia City Council agreed to contribute $2 million if MoDOT is awarded the grant.

The grant would allow crews to build a seperate bridge and replace the current one instead of following through with an $18 million dollar rehabilitation project next January.

MoDOT said the rehabilitation project would shut down lanes on the bridge and could cause back-ups for hours.

The grant application is due in early March with award notification in the fall.

The bridge’s last rehabilitation project was in 1993, and the bridge was built in 1960, according to MoDOT.