A $2.1 million contract awarded this week to Robertson Contractors will improve a high-traffic bridge at Van Buren and replace a nearly century-old bridge near Neelyville.
The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission awarded the contracts Wednesday to rehabilitate the Highway 60 bridge over the Current River at Van Buren and replace the Highway 142 bridge over Cane Creek Ditch near Neelyville.
Both projects can begin April 10, according to the contract. The Van Buren project is expected to take 60 days and the Neelyville project 120 days, said Matt Wilkerson, area engineer with the Missouri Department of Transportation.
The Highway 60 bridge sees close to 10,000 vehicles per day, according to MoDOT.
Work will take place on the westbound lanes, but it will be done one lane at a time, he said.
“Mainly it’s going to be for the deck. It will put a new epoxy polymer wearing surface across the deck,” he explained. “It extends the life of the deck and keeps it clear of impurities, anything that can seep into the deck, such as chemicals from the salting of the roads.
“It keeps things from injecting into the concrete and deteriorating the life of the concrete.”
Work will also include replacement of a guardrail, re-striping and a protective coating applied to the steel girders and caps beneath the bridge to extend the life of the materials.
The westbound lanes were completed in 1992 and have had one major rehab, to add a walkway, since that time.
Contractors will be mindful of boat traffic beneath the bridge, said Wilkerson, but at this time there is not any expectation that water traffic will be impacted.
Some of the work beneath the bridge will be done around the March 15-June 15 seasonal spawning restrictions, Wilkerson said.
Contractors have until Sept. 15 to complete this project, according to the contract.
Neelyville
The Highway 142 bride over the Cane Creek Ditch at County Road 265 was constructed in 1932.
It has not had any prior rehab projects and will be completely removed and replaced during this calendar year, Wilkerson said.
“(The bridge) is being replaced due to the rating of the bridge deck,” he said. “(It) has more than exceeded its anticipated life cycle.
“The project includes a stipulation that the bridge closure is to be performed while school is out of session and also includes a 120 calendar day stipulation for completion from when work begins on the structure.”
Highway 142 and County Road 265 will be closed at the bridge location during the project.
“A signed detour will be in place detouring traffic along routes 142, 158, and 67 highway,” Wilkerson said.
The three-span structure will be replaced with a similar structure on the same alignment. It will have extended span lengths, Wilkerson added.
“The new bridge will also be widened to a 24-foot roadway span consisting of two, 10-foot lanes with 2-foot shoulders,” he said.
The current bridge has a 20-foot roadway.
Also awarded during the Wednesday commission meeting was a $6.4 million contract to H.R. Quadri Contractors, LLC, for resurfacing the following routes: Route E from Route 142 to Route 19 in Oregon County, and; Route 17 from Route WW to Route 160 in Howell County. This project also includes adding 2-foot shoulders.
A contract for $8.3 million was awarded to Samron Midwest Contracting, Inc., for a bridge deck replacement on Route 62 over Interstate 57 near Charleston, Missouri, and the addition of a center turn lane on Route 62 from one half mile west of Interstate 57 to one half mile east of Interstate 57.