By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
A small portion of Interstate 29 south of St. Joseph will close at the end of the week.
The Missouri Department of Transportation and Clarkson Construction will be replacing the Route 116 bridge over I-29, beginning Thursday, January 23rd. The Route 116 bridge is expected to be closed through May.
MoDOT says the demolition of the old bridge will force the closing of I-29 between Dearborn and Faucettt for 24 hours on Friday, January 24th, and Saturday, January 25th.
MoDOT says the closure will have extreme impacts on traffic. MoDOT encourages drivers to plan ahead and consider an alternate route during the planned 24-hour closure. Heavy congestion and delays along the detour routes will be significant. Motorists can expect lengthy slowdowns in the area.
Beginning Friday evening, at 10pm, all traffic on I-29, both northbound and southbound, will be rerouted between Dearborn and Faucett. The plan is to reopen at least one lane of I-29 in each direction by 10 o’clock the following evening.
The current, planned signed detour route is along Routes H/Z, 371 and DD. Motorists must follow the signed detour or find an alternate route.
There might be additional single-lane closures on I-29 under the bridge during its replacement. All work is subject to the weather, according to MoDOT.
For more information about these and other MoDOT projects, sign up online for work zone updates, visit modot.org and view the online Traveler Information Map, or call 888-ASK-MODOT (275-6636) In addition, MoDOT provides updated information on Twitter @MoDOTNorthwest and Facebook at www.facebook.com/MoDOTNWDistrict.