Travelers in Daviess County, Missouri, are due for a detour this summer as a major bridge deck replacement project is set to start on the Missouri Route 6 bridge over Interstate 35 near Altamont. The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) has laid out plans, detailed on their website, for the closure slated to begin on June 9, with Capital Paving & Construction, LLC contracted for the project. According to a MoDOT announcement, the bridge will remain closed through late August in a step to enhance travel and safety in the future.
The shutdown means that those accustomed to the convenience of Route 6 (Exit 64) will need to reroute, MoDOT specifies that the detour will employ U.S. Route 69, guiding vehicles to Exits 69 and 61 to circumvent the closure and while the project undoubtedly aims to improve travel conditions in the long run, the immediate effect for drivers will be a summer of recalculations and possible delays. Interstate 35 will not escape the upheaval with overnight closures expected during demolition phases, although no specific dates have currently been announced for this particular interruption in traffic flow.
Concurrently, another bridge deck replacement is on the horizon for the Harrison County Route N bridge over I-35 near Eagleville, with that work poised to commence in early September after the Route 6 project reaches completion. MoDOT has committed to updating the public as the project progresses, with reminders that all proposed construction will be subject to the whim of weather, which might prompt changes to the current timeline.
MoDOT calls upon the community to partake in a collective effort towards safety during these necessary but potentially disruptive tasks; their statement implores drivers to "always buckle up, keep your phones down, slowing down and moving over in work zones."
