MoDOT adds extra I-70 lane closure near Rocheport bridge for construction

BOONE COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri Department of Transportation contractors will begin their second night of lane closures near the I-70 Missouri River Bridge in Rocheport by closing another lane in the area.

MoDOT says starting Wednesday night, contractors will close both the I-70 westbound and eastbound passing lanes near the Rocheport Bridge. The department says it is closing the lanes to replace the median guard cable with temporary concrete barriers.

Closures will be from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m each night this week. MoDOT expects crews to complete the median work by Friday morning.

MoDOT says the barriers will boost safety for drivers and workers while they continue construction on the Rocheport bridge.

Deputy Project Director Derek Leper says crews are currently working to bring sub-structures up from the river to bridge height. Leper also says soon crews will start working closer to the median, which will require more nightly lane closures until December 2024.

He says all future closures, "will just be single-lane closures overnight," to keep traffic flowing.

MoDOT says the new bridge design has a life span of 100 years. It will also feature safety enhancements to help reduce the number of crashes there.