Lunda Team wins bid for Rocheport Missouri River Bridge replacement
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
Missouri Department of Transportation officials and Gov. Mike Parson announced the Lunda Team had the winning bid to replace the I-70 Missouri River Bridge near Rocheport. The Lunda Team is made up of Lunda Construction Co., Parsons Transportation Group, Inc., Dan Brown & Associates, and Hugh Zeng United.
Watch the announcement replay in the player below.
“This is an exciting moment for this project, and we are thrilled to be working with the Lunda Team,” said Missouri Department of Transportation Rocheport Bridge Project Director Brandi Baldwin. “The replacement of the bridge provides a long-lasting solution and the plan will have minimal impacts to traffic on I-70 during construction.”
The $240-million project is expected to start this winter and should be finished by December of 2024.
“This bridge lies at the heart of Missouri and not only connects the two sides of our state but the majority of our country,” Governor Parson said. “With over 12 million vehicles using the bridge each year and trucks carrying goods to all corners of the country, it is vital that we have world-class infrastructure in place that can meet the demand. This new bridge will keep people moving safely and drive economic activity in our state and local communities.”
The design includes two bridges, one in each direction of travel, each with three lanes and a shoulder. This allows for construction to take place with a limited impact to traffic.
The original bridge was built in 1960 and rated in poor condition, meaning it would be needing weight restrictions in the coming years with rehab work causing hours-long delays on the interstate.
The bridge will be built in phases. The first bridge is expected to be finished in the summer of 2024, and the team will demolish the original bridge at that time. Traffic going both ways will drive on the first bridge until the second one is finished in the winter of 2024.
MoDOT officials said they picked the Lunda Team's design because it meant they could demolish the current Rocheport bridge a year earlier than originally planned, which will save money in upkeep.
Gale Blomenkamp from Boone County Fire District said the addition of a shoulder should make it easier for emergency services to respond to traffic accidents.
