The bridge on Route 13 over Honey Creek, south of Gallatin, has closed for three weeks as Missouri Department of Transportation maintenance crews make extensive bridge repairs. The bridge closed Monday, July 6, at approximately 7 a.m. and will remain closed around the clock through Friday, July 24. Message boards warning of the closure are in place. Motorists will need to plan an alternate route until the bridge is reopened.
“MoDOT’s number-one concern is safety, both for the traveling public and our workers,” said Northwest District Engineer Don Wichern. “The closure of the bridge while the repairs are made is essential to ensure no one is at risk.”
The 80-year-old bridge, built in 1934, carries approximately 1,400 vehicles per day. MoDOT has identified it as a critical condition bridge.
MoDOT’s Northwest District has more than 1,300 bridges among its 20 counties, with 154 in critical condition. Statewide, MoDOT has 591 such bridges. Most of the state’s 10,376 bridges were designed and built to last 50 years. It is due to a diligent program of inspection, repair and maintenance that the structures remain in service. Given upcoming insufficient funding constraints, MoDOT will have to carefully prioritize which bridges are repaired and which might need to close.
Daviess stripped from STIP list
Missouri’s ability to invest in its roads and bridges continues to shrink, and that means fewer projects to keep them in good condition.
Last week, the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission approved the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) – its five-year list of projects that are planned by state and regional agencies. The draft STIP was released in May for public review and comment.
Daviess County takes up very little space in this list, as only one project is scheduled. The job order is for pavement repair from Route 6 in Daviess County near Winston to the Clay County line. That’s about 32.19 miles in length. The project is scheduled for the spring of 2016. The rough cost is $250,000 for construction and $20,000 for engineering for a total of $270,000.
“This year, the draft STIP demonstrates the commitment MoDOT has made to projects that focus on primary routes and taking care of the existing highway system,” said MoDOT Interim Director Roberta Broeker.
The total number of projects in this STIP’s five-year highway and bridge construction schedule is 577. That’s a decrease of 246 projects from last year’s final STIP. The 2016-2020 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program lists transportation projects planned by state and regional planning agencies for fiscal years 2016 through 2020 (July 1, 2015, through June 30, 2020).
According to the Daviess County Commissioners, only two roadways in Daviess County are classified as “primary.” They are Highway 6 and Interstate 35. Highway 13 is not considered a primary route and receives repairs “as needed.”
The Honey Creek Bridge on Hwy. 13, presently being repaired, is planned for replacement in seven years, provided funding is available.
Damage report: commissioners ask public to report poor roads
The rain that has poured down on Daviess County is proving costly, not just to farmers who were delayed getting into their fields to plant crops, but also to the county’s roads and bridges.
Statewide damage totals are in the process of being compiled. Those totals will hopefully lead to a federal disaster declaration by President Obama.
The county commissioners are asking the public’s help to estimate the damage and also to preempt further damage in the area. Motorists are asked to report wash-outs and other dangerous road conditions.
“If the problem is taken care of early it may require only two loads of rip-rap,” said Commissioner Carl Carder. “If it gets away from us, it may take 20 loads.”
The commissioners note that 22 bridges needed work in the county and 15 have been repaired so far as the crews go down the list.
The numerous rain events this spring and summer have put the Daviess County road and bridge crew 45 days behind schedule.
Two bridges have been lost to wash-outs from the heavy rains. One in Jefferson Township on Ridge Road and the other in Jamesport Township on 292nd Street.
Report road damages to your local township board and bridge damage to the Daviess County Commission at 660-663-3486 (Road and Bridge/Mondays) or email [email protected].
