While the exact date for the start of demolition and construction of the Highway 47 overpass over Interstate 70 in Warrenton has not been officially finalized yet, officials with the Missouri Department of Transportation said that they have shifted the plan slightly to perform the demolition over the weekend as opposed to the start of the week.
According to Improve I-70 East Project Team Director Kim Trainor, the original plan envisioned starting the demolition of the overpass in the evening hours on a Sunday and completing the work over the next 48 hours, but she said in reviewing traffic volume on Highway 47 it was determined that demolishing the bridge during the weekend would be a better course of action. Trainor said while an official date has not been finalized yet, tentatively MoDOT is planning on beginning the demolition of the bridge at 7 p.m. Friday, March 27.
She says the date is in part still tentative as there are some modifications that need to be made at Wildcat Drive, an important detour for the project. Specifically intersections at Wildcat Drive will need to be widened to allow truck traffic to be able to turn and to accommodate a u-turn lane.
Once the demolition of the Highway 47 overpass begins it will take 48 hours to complete that portion of the project. During those 48 hours that portion of I-70 will be closed. Trainor said this is because once they begin the demolition of the bridge it will effectively fall onto the interstate and the debris will need to be broken up and removed from the site.
During this period of time, I-70 will be reduced to one lane and traffic will be detoured onto the Highway 47 ramps.
After the initial demolition, MoDOT will then begin constructing the new bridge, which is anticipated to take 134 days. Trainor said the goal is to have the bridge replacement completed before school starts in August.
During this period, those traveling from Highway 47 north heading south will have to exit onto westbound I-70 and will travel west to the Warrenton Boulevard exit and will then follow the roundabouts and detour onto eastbound I-70, taking the Highway 47 exit south. This detour is approximately four miles.
Those heading northbound on Highway 47 will take the exit to eastbound on I-70 and will continue until reaching the Wildcat Drive exit. Drivers will then execute a u-turn before heading westbound on I-70 back to the Highway 47 exit and then continuing north. This detour is approximately 11 miles.
Trainor noted that while local drivers may take alternative routes, these detours are designed primarily for truck traffic through the corridor.
Trainor said the detour routes were designed based upon an analysis of the highest traffic volume in the corridor, which generally occurs in the early evening hours.
Trainor said that while these detours will be the listed detours through the corridor, MoDOT is urging drivers if they see a backup on the off-ramps to proceed to the next exit instead of stopping along the interstate.
In addition to the overpass replacement, the commuter lot located across from Jack in the Box on the North Service Road will close down permanently in mid-March. This is due to other upgrades to be made along the I-70 corridor that will eliminate the space the commuter lot currently occupies.
While the overpass replacement is expected to be completed this summer, related interchange improvements north and south of I-70 will not begin until the spring of 2027 and will continue into 2028 and will be conducted in six different phases.
A public meeting regarding the project is scheduled for Monday, March 16, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Warrenton High School, 803 Pinckney St.
