MoDOT outlines plans for Miami bridge

At some point during the summer of 2006, the Highway 41 Bridge in Miami will be closed to traffic because of repairs MoDOT plans. If all goes according to plan, the construction work will be completed by the beginning of the 2006-07 school year and well before farmers are harvesting crops. [Click to enlarge]

The Missouri Department of Transportation is planning for improvements on the Highway 41 bridge over the Missouri River at Miami to be completed in as short a period of time possible

MoDOT officials held a public meeting Tuesday at the Miami Community Building for area residents to review the plans for the bridge and to address concerns about the work interfering with farmers during the 2006 harvest.

"What we want to do is routine maintenance on the bridge," MoDOT District 2 Engineer Dan Niec said. "A major portion of the project is painting the steel and replacing expansion joints. We also want to repair some structural steel members as well." The estimated cost of the project is $1,288,000.

Niec said that before MoDOT works on any bridge in the state the structure has been looked at for approximately five years and an extensive repair or reconstruction plan has been developed.

"We're in the final design stages now," Niec said of the Miami bridge work. "The work will go up for bids early next year and we will start construction some time in late spring. We want to have the bridge completed by the time school starts next year and also for the farmers who use the bridge frequently."

MoDOT District Engineer Dan Niec (left) and Brian Haeffner, project manager, stand beside plans that show what MoDOT plans to do with the Highway 41 bridge over the Missouri River at Miami. [Click to enlarge]

Niec explained that MoDOT has two possible scenarios for the construction phases of the bridge and, according to what transpired at Tuesday evening's meeting, officials would choose which plan is best.

"One of our major concerns is a detour route for these people," he said. "We have two options. We could keep one lane of traffic open, but that would stretch out the duration and cost of the work. Or, if we close the bridge, the work would be 25 to 30 percent cheaper and would be completed a lot sooner."

"We want to minimize the overall impact on the area," Niec emphasized. "We want to get this done as quickly as possible for these people."

Contact Eric Coley at

marshallfaith@socket.net