Foundation of new Rocheport Bridge, named after fallen Marine, starting to take shape

ROCHEPORT — Construction of a new bridge over the Missouri River west of Columbia is on track as the foundation of its structure starts to take shape.

The new crossing will be called the Lance Cpl. Leon Deraps Interstate 70 Missouri River Bridge. Deraps, a Jamestown native, was killed at the age of 19 while serving with the U.S. Marines during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2006.

The current bridge is being replaced with two new structures. The first bridge is expected to be completed by next spring, with the second in 2024.

The Lunda Team, which was awarded the construction contract, broke ground on the multi-phase project in October. The Lunda Team and Missouri Department of Transportation provided an update to media Thursday. The public has a chance to learn more about construction progress at 9 a.m. Saturday from the Katy Trail.

"We have several of our land-based piers in place (for the first bridge)," said Brandi Baldwin, MoDOT project director. Three are complete, she added.

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Drilling is underway on the river for the next set of piers that will hold up the bridge driving deck. An 11-foot diameter drill bit is being used to drill holes through 50 feet of riverbed and earth and 20 feet into bedrock to place the support structures.

"We finished a project in Davenport, Iowa, and we brought all that equipment down river on the Mississippi and then up the Missouri," said Mark Olsen, Lunda Construction director of project development.

Construction still on schedule

Even with low river levels and supply-chain issues, the project is on track to have the first bridge built by next spring, Olsen said.

The planning schedule has changed to order needed construction materials, such as epoxy-coated rebar, two to three months ahead of use instead of a few weeks, he said.

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Any factors that impact the schedule are minor, Olsen said.

"They are the little scratches that eat away at your schedule a little bit, but it is nothing that has put us into a critical path or behind that we have to do a recovery schedule," Olsen said, adding there are some areas where time can be made up.

The Lunda Team is accustomed to Wisconsin and Minnesota winters, which are much harsher than in Missouri, he said.

"We feel there are some opportunities to make up time in the schedule where we basically feel we can continue to do work this winter," Olsen said.

Project focus is increased traffic safety

Once the first bridge is brought online next year, all I-70 traffic will be re-routed there. The bridge will be wide enough to handle the current four lanes of traffic.

High-friction surface treatments and reflective signs and road markers will be put in place to help aid in reducing traffic accidents.

The $240 million project ultimately is expected to decrease serious or fatal accidents on the stretch of roadway by about 60% and overall crashes by 40%.

More: Lunda Team awarded contract to build new Rocheport Bridge at Missouri River

Even with an additional driving lane in each direction, the new bridges will have 12- and eight-foot shoulders in case there are crashes, Olsen said.

"That gives some additional area to pull off, have emergency vehicles or have existing traffic drive around crashes," he said.

Increased safety was the primary goal behind selecting Lunda for the job, Baldwin said.

Future work

The current bridge and its supports will be demolished once the first new bridge comes online next year.

This will make way for construction of the second bridge in the same location.

Building the second bridge where the current bridge stands now will lessen environmental impacts, Olsen said.

There are at least two times Lunda expects to shut down navigation channels on the river, he said. Closures will take between 24 to 48 hours.

"This is when we do the main span erection over the navigation channel," Olsen said. "We will have the whole section completely constructed and assembled and then we will strand jack it into place."

One more year — I-70 bridge replacement at Rocheport to start fall 2021

Each new bridge will support three lanes of traffic, with lifespan of about 100 years, officials said.

I-70 from the Route BB bridge east of the river to the railroad bridges west of the river will be widened out to six total lanes. The overpass at Route BB will be raised, and its span across the interstate will be widened to accommodate the two extra lanes.

Increasing to six lanes is in preparation for potential future development to the interstate.

Charles Dunlap covers courts, public safety and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on Twitter. Please consider subscribing to support vital local journalism.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Foundation of new Rocheport Bridge starting to take shape