MoDOT Reveals Details For Two Bridge Replacements On Hwy. 79 At Noix And Buffalo Creeks
Officials with the Missouri Department of Transportation Kimberly Trainor and Brian Haeffner take questions from those who attended a presentation last week on the upcoming closures and construction of bridges at Noix Creek and Buffalo Creek on Highway 79. Over 20 people attended the presentation and several more stopped by to look at visual displays and talk to officials about the plans for the new bridges that are slated for completion on an accelerated schedule by late October.
The bridges at Noix Creek and Buffalo Creek will be replaced this summer on Highway 79.
It is tentatively planned to begin with the Noix Creek bridge in Louisiana with the closure starting on Wednesday, July 5. Work on the bridge at Buffalo Creek looks to overlap starting a few weeks later.
The contracts for each bridge were based on an accelerated schedule of 80 days. The contractor will have to pay a fee for every day over that time frame. Both bridges will be closed simultaneously during a portion of August and September. The Noix Creek bridge is scheduled to be completed by Oct. 1 and the Buffalo Creek bridge by Nov. 1.
Detour routes were announced at a public presentation on Thursday last week. Motorists are urged to use Highway 61 and Routes D and N.
It was pointed out that use of Route 251 will likely increase by local drivers. MoDOT officials noted there is no way they can prevent people from using the shortcut. Bucky Ward was at the meeting on behalf of the special road district and remarked that some anticipatory measures have been taken.
MoDOT officials were quick to point out that the work schedules are weather-dependent. The awarded contractor for both bridge replacements is L.F. Krupp Construction of Ellisville, MO. The total bid for Noix Creek and Buffalo Creek Bridges is just over $2.5 million.
Details About The New Bridges
Noix Creek Bridge: The bridge is currently 217-feet long and 24-feet wide with a pedestrian walkway. There are multiple areas of exposed rebar on the bridge that was constructed in 1935.
The proposed Noix Creek Bridge will be 244-feet long and have an overall width of 38-feet. It will have a travelway of 22-feet with 2-foot shoulder on the west and a 6-foot shoulder on the east side of the bridge. There will also be a 5-foot protected pedestrian walkway along west side of the bridge.
The proposed bridge will further be approximately a foot and a half higher than the existing bridge. The proposed elevation coincides with a flood study performed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the City of Louisiana.
The new bridge could lessen the occurrences of flooding; however, it will not eliminate flooding due to the lower elevation of the railroad crossing. The cost for Noix Creek bridge is $1.4 million and the new bridge is expected to have a life span of 75 years.
Buffalo Creek Bridge: The bridge is currently 187-feet long and 22-feet wide with multiple areas of exposed rebar on the bridge that was constructed in 1935.
The proposed Buffalo Creek Bridge will be 206-feet long and have an overall width of 32-feet. The proposed bridge will be approximately a foot higher than the existing bridge. It will have a travelway of 22-feet with five-foot shoulders for bike lane designation.
MoDOT also coordinated with Ashland-Hercules, the owner of the abandoned overhead truss located to the north of the bridge. The overhead truss will be removed during the roadway closure. The cost for Buffalo Creek Bridge is over $1.1 million and the new bridge is expected to have a life span of 75 years.
Sign Up For Emails To Be Aware Of Road Work
For more information about these upcoming bridge projects, subscribe to the email and text notification system at www6.modot.mo.gov/eMoDOTWeb/jsp/signon/signon.jsp All Missouri road and bridge work is available online at www.modot.org using the Traveler Map.
