(JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., AP) — Missouri’s transportation director says a lane closure on an Interstate 70 bridge is one symptom of problems arising from a funding shortfall.
One westbound lane near Boonville was closed Monday after a crack in a steel beam was found on the bridge over the Lamine River.
A temporary fix is expected to take three days.
Missouri Department of Transportation Director Dave Nichols says these types of closures will happen more frequently without rehabilitation and replacement.
Missouri’s highways have about 600 bridges in critical condition that aren’t scheduled for improvements in the next five years, when the number is predicted to hit 1,000.
The department anticipates having $325 million for construction contracts in 2017. That’s short of the $485 million it says is needed to keep things in their current condition.
A temporary fix is expected to take three days.
Missouri Department of Transportation Director Dave Nichols says these types of closures will happen more frequently without rehabilitation and replacement.
Missouri’s highways have about 600 bridges in critical condition that aren’t scheduled for improvements in the next five years, when the number is predicted to hit 1,000.
The department anticipates having $325 million for construction contracts in 2017. That’s short of the $485 million it says is needed to keep things in their current condition.
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