Route 2 Bridge Re-opens
Posted By J.T. on August 25, 2009
The Route 2 Bridge over the Grand River east of Freeman in Cass County re-opened today. The bridge is the fourth this year to be completed in Cass County. Deck replacement for the 32 foot-wide, 251 foot-long bridge began July 21. This busy route is important for Cass Midway school routes and for lake-bound traffic from the north. The contractor, Widel Inc., completed this bridge on time, despite several days of heavy rains during the project.
It is among 19 in Cass County and more than 800 throughout Missouri to be repaired or replaced in the next five years through MoDOT’s Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement Program. Closing these bridges allows the contractor to complete the work quickly and get the bridge back open faster. It also keeps costs down, saving tax-payer money, but usually irritates the people who depend on those bridges for their day-to-day travels.
Full closures reduce cost by minimizing the need for additional right of way and for costly roadway work. Every bridge that’s closed during construction allows MoDOT to work on another bridge in need of attention.
There are 10,249 bridges in the Missouri state highway system - 7th largest total nationwide. Approximately 1,100 of them are in poor/serious condition. The Safe & Sound Initiative will address most of these ailing bridges.
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