AASHTO Journal, 5 August 2016
While Missouri Department of Transportation contractor crews were blasting old paint off a bridge built in 1955 to get it ready for a fresh paint job, they uncovered structural problems that will keep the structure in the state capital closed beyond the original schedule.
The new repairs, MoDOT officials said July 29, “will delay the opening of the westbound Route 54/63 bridge over the Missouri River in Jefferson City.” The bridge painting project was expected to be finished by the end of August; now it’s not clear when the bridge can reopen. It normally carries about 28,000 vehicles a day.
The total structure has two bridges side-by-side for the eastbound and westbound traffic, and traffic is currently sharing the eastbound span. Initial preparations to repaint the westbound span and make some repairs began in March, and the full closure started in April.
“As the contractor worked to remove the old paint, the blasting process revealed a structure that was not in as good of condition as we expected,” said David Silvester, MoDOT Central District engineer. “Because these repairs will take extra time to address, we have no choice but to delay the opening of the bridge.”
He added: “We know this is not what folks want to hear, and we are truly sorry for the inconvenience this delay will cause. However, it would be unsafe and imprudent for us to ignore the repairs that need to be made just to meet the project deadline. We hope our customers will understand that and bear with us for a little while longer.”
Silvester said the paint preparations revealed a larger number of deteriorated rivets that need to be replaced. MoDOT has worked with the company to renegotiate the contract to include those and other structural repairs.
The AP reported that extra work will add about $500,000 to the $7 million project.
“It’s not unusual to find unexpected problems on a bridge this old and a project this complicated,” said State Bridge Engineer Dennis Heckman. “Repairing major river bridges is a massive and complex undertaking. That’s why we must address these issues now so we can ensure the integrity of the bridge for years to come.”
Silvester said a new completion date had not been set yet because the contractor may find that additional repairs are needed. The AP said the original plan allowed for about a 120-day closure but for the bridge to reopen to traffic before the school year starts.
“Due to the unexpected repairs we’ve already experienced, we are unsure what we might find going forward,” Silvester said. “We know the closure will extend into the school year and beyond Labor Day. We need to allow the contractor the time needed to get the job done right.”
He said that if the bridge were not properly maintained, it would eventually have to be replaced at an estimated cost of $100 million – something that would be difficult to absorb given MoDOT’s challenge of insufficient long-term funding.
“The structure is sound and the maintenance work we’re performing is necessary to maintain the bridge and extend its life for another 20-30 years,” Silvester said. “Major river bridges are a big investment on our system, and it’s important that we maintain that investment.”
Meanwhile, he said that commuters driving in both directions on the eastbound span have been patient during the closure of the westbound lanes. “Bridge commuters have adjusted to the work zone well, and we’ve had very few issues in the work zone. It’s apparent that many travelers are adjusting their travels over the bridge to avoid peak travel times.”
