By Tim Schmidt Record Managing Editor Construction of a new Highway 47 bridge over Lake Creek near Dutzow is scheduled to begin June 16. The bridge will be replaced with a new, wider bridge in the same location, just south of the Highway 47 and 94 intersection. The project also consists of improving the Highway 47 and 94 intersection with better shoulders, guardrail and surfacing, according to MoDOT officials. The new bridge will feature a 40-foot-wide roadway, with 12-foot lanes and 8-foot shoulders, and will be 138 feet long. It will replace an 80-year-old bridge that is only 26 feet wide and 113 feet long. The contract for the project was awarded to Kozeny-Wagner, Inc., of Arnold, for $1,621,988.38. According to MoDOT, the new bridge will be built in two phases, with traffic reduced to one lane. Traffic signals will be activated to control both northbound and southbound motorists across the bridge and through the Highway 47 and 94 intersection. Flagmen may be used during peak traffic periods to alleviate congestion, officials said. The new bridge is expected to be open to traffic by the end of August, according to MoDOT officials. “With an average of almost 13,000 vehicles a day, we know there will be some short-term inconvenience experienced with slower speeds and potential delays, yet this is a long-term investment for the area,” MoDOT Area Engineer Erik Maninga said. For motorists who normally travel on Highway 47, Maninga encourages them to use alternate routes to avoid delays. This week, contractors will begin preliminary work for the project. This consists of setting up temporary traffic control devices, installing temporary erosion controls and hauling materials to construct roadway fills. Some early paving work to prepare for the first stage of the bridge construction may begin as well prior to June 13, but MoDOT officials noted that any work requiring lane closures will be done at night. From June 16 to July 18, the southbound lane of the existing bridge will be removed and replaced, according to MoDOT’s project schedule. Traffic will travel across the bridge on the northbound side with a 15-foot width restriction. The northbound lanes will be removed and replaced from July 21-Aug. 29. Traffic will travel on the new southbound lanes with a 12-foot width restriction. Between Aug. 29-Sept. 29, the contractor will be working at nights with temporary lane closures using flaggers for shoulder repairs and resurfacing at the intersection of Highway 47 and 94.
MoDOT
