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Construction on Grand Avenue Bridge scheduled to finish on time

Posted at 10:40 AM, Nov 10, 2016
and last updated 2016-11-10 11:42:49-05

It's one of the most complex road construction projects in the metro right now: Grand Avenue Bridge.

The bridge had to be completely rebuilt after major cracks were found in the deck of the bridge.

RELATED | Grand Avenue Bridge over I-670 closed after crack forms

"This is a new one to me, mainly in how quickly we are going to deliver it and then just some types of construction methods we are using," said James Phlum, an engineer with MoDOT.

What makes the project so difficult is the timing.

After the cracks were discovered in May, MoDOT had to design a new bridge, demolish the old one and build the new one in less than a year.

What makes it even more complex, is the location. Grand Avenue Bridge spans I-670 and more than 88,000 vehicles drive it a day.

There was also a construction project on I-670 already underway. Right next to the bridge, a new building is underway.

"Working downtown there is not a lot of space where you can just lay out equipment and materials. You got to really start coordinating with the people and the stake holders around," said Phlum.

That coordinating worked. The foundation of the bridge is done, and just recently crews poured concrete on the deck of the bridge, which is the surface that cars will be driving on.

Despite the complexity of the project, no major setbacks have taken place.

The Grand Avenue Bridge is scheduled to be finished in December.

This is pretty incredible right now, I think everybody has a mindset of just how critical this project is," Phlum said. 

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Richard Sharp can be reached at richard.sharp@kshb.com.

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