New bridge at Rocheport could save consumers money over rehab

The announcement of a grant for a new Missouri River bridge at Rocheport should save consumers money, according to the American Transportation Research Institute.

Members of Missouri’s congressional delegation announced Monday that the state will receive an $81 million grant to help finance a $200 million project to replace the bridge. State leaders said the grant will make the replacement a reality.

Before the federal government awarded the money, the Missouri Department of Transportation had planned to rehabilitate the bridge in an effort to extend its life.

Government officials and industry groups say the span is a key part of the state and national transportation grid. ATRI says the bridge is considered a major transportation hub, and MoDOT says it carries 12.5 million vehicles per year, including 3.6 million trucks.

The rehabilitation project was expected to have caused several hours worth of delays. According to ATRI, those delays would have significant impacts on trucking companies.

An average 18-wheeler costs $66.65 to operate per hour, according to ATRI. The institute said delays at the Rocheport bridge could cost trucking companies millions of dollars.

ATRI said this those costs could cause the price of goods and services to increase.

“Based on what we were looking at as far as the huge backups from traffic and all that, I think we’re looking at a much better situation for most people involved,” said state Rep. Chuck Basye, R-Rocheport.

MoDOT said to expect traffic to move as normal, as workers will be operating the bridge as normal. The agency plans to build the new bridge next to the current bridge, keeping the current span open to traffic during the project.