Officials break ground on new I-70 bridge over Missouri River
Watch the groundbreaking in the player below.
ROCHEPORT, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Missouri Department of Transportation marked the start of construction on the new Missouri River bridge near Rocheport with a ceremonial groundbreaking Tuesday.
The ceremony took place at the Les Bourgeois Vineyards Bistro terrace, which overlooks the Missouri River and the current bridge.
Speakers included:
- Missouri Governor Mike Parson
- Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (R)
- Missouri Senator Caleb Rowden (R)
- Boone County Presiding Commissioner Dan Atwill
- Cooper County Presiding Commissioner Don Baragary
- Columbia Mayor Brian Treece
- MoDOT Director Patrick McKenna
- Project Director Brandi Baldwin
Current Rocheport bridge
According to MoDOT, the current bridge was built in 1960 and sees around 12.5 million vehicles each year. The bridge connects Boone County and Cooper County.
The bridge is currently rated in "poor condition" but is safe to use, according to the department.
MoDOT said over the span of 48 hours, trucks carrying items to 48 states will have crossed over the bridge.
The department said repairs to the current bridge would only last around 10 years. Traffic backups of up to three to eights hours along I-70 were possible if the current bridge wasn't replaced.
New Rocheport bridge timeline
MoDOT said the new Rocheport Bridge project will cost $240 million dollars.
Part of the funding for the project will come from an $81.2 million INFRA Grant, which is the largest competitive grant ever received by the department.
The new bridge will be built by the Lunda Team, which is made up of Lunda Construction Co., Parsons Transportation Group, Inc., Dan Brown & Associates, and Hugh Zeng United.
The project includes two bridges, with each one going in a different direction. The bridges will be made up of three lanes for traffic.
MoDOT said one of the goals of the project is to limit traffic impacts during and after construction. The department also wants to provide a reliable bridge for drivers the use over the next 100 years.
The project is set to be completed by December of 2024.
