At Last! Much-Delayed I-44 Project Through Shrewsbury Winds Down
Date Posted: July 8, 2019
Posted In: Projects,
From Webster-Kirkwood Times: As morning commuters weave their way through seemingly endless construction on Interstate 44, a light has appeared at the end of the tunnel —er, bridge. MoDOT reopened all lanes of I-44 near Shrewsbury on June 27 after a six month delay to the project.
Michelle Forneris, MoDOT area engineer for St. Louis City, said all that is left to do near Shrewsbury is resurfacing. Forneris said work will finally be finished after crews repair pavement and put the new driving surface on I-44 between Murdoch Avenue and River Des Peres.
Since November 2018, MoDOT has been working to complete the eastbound bridge over the BNSF railroad tracks and repairing the newly constructed westbound bridge. When cracks appeared on the driving surface of the westbound bridge, MoDOT hired a third party to conduct analysis on the structural integrity of the bridges.
Forneris said the third party issued a report determining the bridge was unable to handle thermal expansion forces. Summer heat and winter chill of a Midwestern climate made the cracks form.
After the report was issued, MoDOT and contractor KCI Construction updated designs for the eastbound bridge, restarted construction on the project and designed repairs for the westbound bridge.
Forneris said despite the delay and extra work, there will be no extra cost to taxpayers. According to MoDOT, KCI absorbed costs for all additional design and construction, totaling $319,000. KCI also paid $200,000 to cover the cost of the in-depth analysis and damage report.
According to Forneris, MoDOT will continue using KCI Construction for future interstate construction projects.
“There are no concerns with the construction of other bridges,” Forneris said.