Missouri Gets More Money To Replace Rural Bridges
Date Posted: September 4, 2019
Posted In: Projects,
From St. Louis Public Radio: Missouri has received another $21 million in federal funding to repair the state’s bridges.
Missouri was one of just 25 states eligible for the grants, which come from the Competitive Highway Bridge Program. The money will allow the Missouri Department of Transportation to replace 40 bridges on state highways north of Interstate 70.
All of the bridges are in poor condition and have weight restrictions, which makes it difficult for farmers to move crops and equipment. They are also all one lane wide but accommodate two-way traffic. The state had estimated that if nothing was done, more than half the bridges on the list would have been permanently closed in eight years.
Marisa Ellison, communications manager for MoDOT’s northeast district, said some of the bridges were already part of the state’s latest five-year transportation plan. The new grant, she said, will in some cases speed up that work. The 20 bridges on the list in her district should be replaced in five to seven years.