Heads up, Jasper County motorists – your commute is about to get a bit more complicated. Starting the next week Monday, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) will be shutting down the Route H bridge over Duval Creek for some much-needed repairs. Drivers who frequent the stretch west of Jasper should brace for disruptions from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Thursday.
The necessary construction work includes repairs to the bridge deck and driving surface, according to Missouri Department of Transportation. During these repairs, all lanes of Route H at the bridge will be closed, but will reopen each night; yet, after the repairs, be prepared to navigate a newly configured one-lane bridge that's sticking around even post-construction. The inconvenience doesn't end there, with no signed detours, it's on the drivers to map out their alternate paths ahead of time, though MoDOT's Traveler Information Map is available for guidance.
For locals, accessing homes and businesses won't be impaired – entrances at either work zone end are accessible, but forget about crossing the bridge mid-repair. Missouri Department of Transportation has placed signs and message boards in the vicinity to alert unwary drivers as they approach, reducing the risks of sudden heart-dropping realizations and the scramble for last-minute detours.
As is always the case with repairs of this nature, while Missouri Department of Transportation has a schedule, the weather gods and unforeseen events might have other plans, thus alterations to the timeline could happen. And to stir the pot of future traffic disruptions, it is announced that this isn't the last of it – the Jasper County Route H bridge, along with the Route BB/Stony Branch bridge, is set for a total replacement come 2026.
