By RYAN SKAITH
The Missouri Department of Transportation has announced a one-day delay for the scheduled closure of the Route PP bridge over West Locust Creek in Sullivan County. Originally slated to close Monday, Feb. 2, the bridge is now scheduled to shut down to all traffic on Tuesday, Feb. 3.
Located west of Milan, the bridge replacement is a component of the Northwest Bridge Bundle project. Contractors expect to complete the new structure and reopen the roadway by June 2026. During the construction period, motorists are advised to seek alternate routes to bypass the closure.
The existing West Locust Creek Bridge was built in 1955 and currently carries an average of 59 vehicles per day. Its replacement is part of a regional effort to modernize aging infrastructure. “The Northwest Bridge Bundle is a Design-Build project which will replace or rehabilitate 31 poor-condition bridges in north central Missouri,” said MoDOT Project Manager Michael Marriott.
The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission awarded the design-build contract to the Capital – Horner & Shifrin team in December 2023. This specific delivery method differs from traditional projects by pairing the design and construction phases under a single contract.
Under the design-build model, MoDOT establishes the primary project goals, budget, and schedule, while the contractor team executes the design and construction simultaneously.
MoDOT says this approach is frequently utilized to accelerate project timelines and provide significant cost savings to taxpayers.