Thirteen bridges in the area counties are a small part of Missouri Department of Transportation’s list for replacement in the next couple of years under the “Fixing Access to Rural Missouri (FARM) bridge” program. Missouri Department of Transportation Project Director Jeff Gander says these bridges will be built using the design-build procurement method. The project has a budget of $25.99 million and a completion goal of before the end of October 2023
Design-build is a method that includes hiring one contracting team to complete the design work and build highway improvement under one contract. MoDOT provides the project goals, budget, and schedule and the contractor team completes the work. This technique has been known to significantly save time and provide cost savings. Five contractors have been selected to participate in the Request For Proposal (RFP) process that begins in January and contracts are expected to be awarded in May.
The primary purpose of this project is to replace several deficient bridges that are located on low-volume routes and are: Weight-restricted, In poor condition, On timber piles and/or are One-lane but carry two-way traffic.
The bridges identified in the local counties include:
Livingston County: Route C at Shoal Creek
Grundy County: Route W at Gees Creek
Route N at No Creek
Chariton County: Route CC at Yellow Creek
Route D at Clark Creek
Route D at E. Fork Bee Branch
Linn County: Route WW at Van Dorsen Creek
Route 139 at Lewis Creek
Route B at Smokey Creek
Route C at Long Branch
Route C at West Yellow Creek
Sullivan County: Route E at West Locust Creek
Route C at Yellow Creek
Funding for the program is through a grant from the Federal Highway Administration.