Blasting of the old Missouri River bridge at Rocheport is scheduled. Here's how to watch.
Motorists traveling Interstate 70 recently shifted to the new Lance Cpl. Leon Deraps Interstate 70 Missouri River Bridge at Rocheport. Blasting demolition of the old bridge has been set.
A portion of the interstate in both directions and the Katy Trail will be closed off from 7-9 a.m. Sept. 10 to create a perimeter around the blast site that will remove the truss of the old Missouri River bridge. In case of inclement weather, blasting will happen Sept. 12.
Once the area is secured, the demolition team will use a controlled explosion to drop the old truss into the river at about 7:30 a.m. Crews will then sweep and inspect the new westbound bridge to ensure all debris is clear before the interstate is reopened to traffic. It is expected this process could take up to one hour, the Missouri Department of Transportation said.
Due to limited public viewing locations, MoDOT will livestream the demolition through the Rocheport Bridge project website.
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The blast lasts a moment, but will drop the approximately 1,100 feet of truss, including 6 million pounds of steel into the Missouri River. The demo team must remove the pieces of the truss from the river within 24 hours of the blast in order to reopen the river channel to boat and barge traffic, MoDOT said.
Construction of the eastbound bridge will start after all debris is removed. This bridge is expected to open by December 2024.
From 2020: One more year — I-70 bridge replacement at Rocheport to start fall 2021
Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on Twitter. Subscribe to support vital local journalism.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Old Missouri River Bridge to come down in blasting demolition Sept. 10
