Informational Meeting To Be Held On New Bridges Slated For Construction On Highway 79

Pike County residents and motorists who use Highway 79 can look forward to two new bridges coming soon.

The bridges over Noix Creek and Buffalo Creek, both south of Louisiana on Highway 79 will be replaced with construction beginning this summer. Naturally, Highway 79 will have closures during construction, but drivers will still be able to access all parts of it by using the detours.

To help area drivers understand the closure and the improvements being made, a public informational meeting will be held on Thursday, June 15 from 4:30 p.m.-6 p.m., at the Abel Oil Corporate conference room located on Highway 79 in Louisiana. This is an open-house style meeting, so individuals may stop by anytime during the meeting to visit with MoDOT representatives about the project. There will be a formal presentation at 4:45 p.m.

“We expect the road to be closed up to 80 days at each bridge, with the Noix Creek bridge expected to close a few weeks earlier than the Buffalo Creek Bridge. The Noix Creek Bridge will be completed and Highway 79 reopened at that location while work continues on the Buffalo Creek Bridge.

In order for both bridges to be replaced, Highway 79 will be closed at one or both of the locations beginning in late June and possibly lasting until November 1,” said MoDOT Area Engineer Brian Haeffner, P.E.

Drivers will be notified of the closures well in advance.

Other Work in the Area

Weather permitting, the Highway 54 bridge over the Mississippi River in Louisiana, known as the Champ Clark Bridge, will be closed on Monday, June 12 through Thursday, June 15 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to conduct the annual in-depth inspection. A new Highway 54 Mississippi Bridge in Louisiana will be under construction later this year.

For more information about these upcoming bridge projects, subscribe to the email and text notification system at https://www6.modot.mo.gov/eMoDOTWeb/jsp/signon/signon.jsp