The Missouri Department of Transportation plans to replace the deck of the Ashley Branch bridge on Route W near Bourbon, which will close the crossing for approximately two months. The closure will require drivers to use a detour of about 60–70 miles. Local residents and business owners expressed concerns that the closure could affect bookings, deliveries, and emergency response times, while families and farms that rely on the bridge face a significant temporary disruption.
MoDOT timeline and scope
According to the Missouri Department of Transportation project page, the Route W bridge over Ashley Branch, built in 1963, needs a new deck and is set to be replaced in 2026 with a structure that is two feet wider, for a total width of about 26 feet. The agency lists the job as a deck replacement that will require a full roadway closure for about 60 calendar days and places the project in the 2026 letting, with completion currently expected by fall 2026, per MoDOT.
Why neighbors say the detour is untenable
Owners of Sacred Fire Farms, Nancy and Mike Herold, say the Ashley Branch crossing is the only passable route from their property into Bourbon, roughly a 15‑mile drive when the bridge is open, and that losing it would be catastrophic for the farm’s classes, shop and Airbnb. Without the bridge, they estimate reaching Bourbon would require a roughly 60–70‑mile trip through Potosi and backroads. “It’s going to shut down my enterprise if it’s allowed to go through,” Nancy told First Alert 4.
Detour logistics and limits
MoDOT’s project materials state the agency will not post a signed detour on routes it does not maintain. Instead, motorists will be warned ahead of the closure and asked to use alternate county roads depending on their destination. That policy is cited as one reason the agency rejected a staged one‑lane rehab for this span, since the bridge’s narrow design does not allow it, and why a temporary bridge was deemed not viable because of costs and permitting constraints. The Route W page also notes the crossing serves roughly 100 vehicles per day and says advance signs will direct motorists to alternate routes, according to MoDOT.
Emergency response and local livelihoods
Residents warn the closure could double ambulance and fire response times. MoDOT told First Alert 4 the department has coordinated with Washington EMS management, the Potosi Ambulance District, local fire departments and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office on project details and alternative response routing. The outlet also reported MoDOT’s construction description, in which contractors will remove the existing deck and pour a new cast‑in‑place slab, and the agency said incentives may be written into the contract if the contractor opens the bridge sooner than the allowed window.
What residents can do next
MoDOT held public displays and an open meeting at the Washington County Courthouse during the October–November comment period, and the department provides project exhibits and an email sign‑up on its site for updates. Local reporting earlier on the project also noted community concern about notice and communication before a contract is awarded, and the public session at Potosi’s courthouse was covered.
