Spectators may be able to keep close watch on construction of the south leg of the new Highway 47 Missouri River bridge in the future.While actual work has not started on the new $62 million span, the general contractor, Alberici Constructors Inc., is close to wrapping up final paperwork and arrangements with subcontractors, a Missouri Department of Transportation official said this week.The new bridge, expected to open by the end of 2018, will provide a new link between Warren and Franklin counties. It will replace the current bridge that was completed in 1936.Earlier this week, members of the Washington Area Highway Transportation Committee got an update on the project from Judy Wagner, MoDOT area engineer for Franklin and Jefferson counties.“Hopefully,” preliminary work on the bridge will begin in the next couple of weeks, Wagner said.During the meeting, it was noted that part’s of Washington’s Rotary Riverfront Trail will be closed for the next two years. The contractor has an agreement to utilize the eastern part of the trail to access the construction site on the south bank.The section of trail to the west of the site will be closed off with a fence and gate, but people still will be able to walk up to that point to view the construction work, it was noted.During construction, no one will be allowed beyond the fence except emergency services personnel who will have a key to the gate, Wagner noted. Spectator Area Washington Mayor Sandy Lucy suggested that the city erect bleachers along the trail west of the work site to allow people to sit and watch as the project progresses.“I think there will be people wanting to watch the project,” she remarked.Officials at the meeting noted that there are bleachers stored at locations in the parks system that could be used.The contractor is expected to begin clearing trees along the eastern part of the riverfront trail in the next couple of weeks.Likewise, a separate staging and construction area will be developed on the north side of the river in Warren County.Officials have said that the work will progress from both sides and join up somewhere in the middle of the river.Alberici was awarded a $62,950,000 contract in June to build the new span which will replace the 80-year-old current bridge. The project calls for the new 2,560-foot-long bridge to be built just to the west — upstream — from the existing span.It will have two 12-foot driving lanes, two 10-foot shoulders and a 10-foot-wide biking/walking path along the west side. An overlook, where walkers and bikers can stop and view the river and cityscape, will be located at the center bridge pier.The new bridge path will connect to a biking/walking path along Highway 47, north of the river, which ties into the state’s Katy Trail, one of the longest continuous bicycle trails in the United States.After clearing work and development of staging areas is finished, the contractor will proceed with constructing piers in the river for the new span.The new bridge, designed by HDR, Inc., will have a 100-year life with limited maintenance and a variety of enhancements.Highway 47 bridge