Construction is expected to resume this week on the new Tuque Creek bridge following nearly a month of work lost due to concerns over flooding. MoDOT officials last Thursday announced the contractor for the project — Hannibal-based Bross Construction — was moving equipment back to the area and is expected to begin work early next week. The bridge replacement project, located just south of Marthasville on Highway 47, was expected to be completed by July 31 until the delay. Highway 47 has been closed since April 11. “We’ve been fighting flooding on this project from the beginning, and even though we’re not as far as we’d like to be on the project, we anticipate having the bridge completed in September,” said Macy Rodenbaugh, MoDOT’s Northeast District construction and materials engineer, in a news release. Construction on the new bridge was stopped due to the threat of significant flooding in the southern portion of the county. Flooding along the Missouri River was expected in the southern portion of the county following the release of water in South Dakota combined with an above average rainfall. MoDOT, at the time it announced the contractor was moving its equipment out of the area on June 10, anticipated Highway 94 and several other roads in the area would be closed by floodwaters. Some of the flooding fears locally were alleviated due to Missouri River levees being breached or topped upstream. “Work is about 18 percent complete, and I know the contractor is anxious to gain some ground,” Rodenbaugh said in the release. The construction delay will cause Highway 47 to remain closed when classes resume for area school districts. The opening day for classes in the Washington School District is Aug. 17, while Borgia’s first day is Aug. 15. With Highway 47 closed, traffic is being detoured on Highway D through Marthasville and then on Boone Monument Road. While concerns were raised about the increased traffic in the city and on the narrow county road, few accidents have occurred. An increased police presence also has focused on slowing motorists. Large vehicles, particularly 18-wheelers, are being encouraged to travel alternate routes. The Tuque Creek bridge had been in disrepair in recent years as rebar on the structure could be easily viewed in areas where chunks of concrete had broken off. The new bridge is expected to cost around $1 million.