Bridge work on Route 63 expected to cause delays

Drivers could experience delays on Route 63 northbound over Bonne Femme Creek beginning on Wednesday.

The Missouri Department of Transportation will start bridge repairs at 8 a.m. just south of Columbia in Boone County. It’s expected to cause traffic to be down to one lane.

MoDOT said the work is expected to extend the life of the bridge by 25 years. The bridge opened in 1973.

According to MoDOT, nearly 15 thousand people drive across the bridge every day.

The work is scheduled to be done by August.

The bridge work is part of a larger project that aims to improve seven bridges in Boone and Callaway Counties along Route 63. So far, the only other bridge work that has already started is the Grindstone Parkway Bridge work over Route 63.

Columbia resident Ruthie Craven said the work on the Grindstone bridge has made it more difficult to visit her bother, who lives in a retirement home. But she said it is worth it.

“What are a few minutes of our time if it saves lives?” Craven said.

Other projects that have not yet started include:

Route 63 Southbound Bridge over Cedar Creek (scheduled to begin Aug. 12) Route 63 Northbound Bridge over Cedar Creek (scheduled to begin Aug. 12) Route 63 Northbound Bridge over Turkey Creek (scheduled to begin Sept. 16) Route 63 Southbound Bridge over Gans Creek (scheduled to begin Sept. 30) Route 63 Northbound Bridge over Katy Trail (scheduled to begin Oct. 7)

The entire project is set to be completed by spring 2020.

The total cost of the project was about $3.9 million.

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